BLENDED FAMILY

 

Blended Family – 9 Strategies For A Happy Blended Family

Are you part of a blended family? Here are 9 strategies to help you foster a happy blended family, when two families becomes one.

 

 

Let’s chat about a blended family.

Here are 9 fantastic strategies to help you foster a happy, blended family, when two families becomes one.

If you live in a blended household, you almost certainly recognize the dedication and stamina needed for a happy home.

 

Although many families struggle through years of challenging communication, you can use specific strategies to help yours relate and function more peacefully.

 

You may already have learned some techniques that suit your family’s needs.

To supplement these, review these 9 strategies to help your blended family be healthy, happy and strong.

 

BLENDED FAMILY

TIP # 1 – Agree on a plan.

 

In advance of “blending” the families, parents can talk about how they will manage the kids and their lives together.

Before you marry or move in, make it a point to discuss openly how you want the management of the kids to be split or shared.

 

 

BLENDED FAMILY

TIP # 2 – Decide not to discipline the other’s children.

 

Although this may sound like a drastic measure, it’s wise – at least in the short-term – to avoid potentially uncomfortable occurrences between step-parents and children.

 

  • Instead, each incident will be discussed and the biological parent will determine and administer the consequence. This will help to reduce development of negative feelings by a child toward the step-parent.
  • This agreement may be altered in the future, depending on the progression of family relationships.

 

BLENDED FAMILY

TIP # 3 – Vow together to treat the children equally.

 

Make a concerted effort to show your step-children the same consideration, compassion, concern, and love as you show to your own children.

Children will notice it if they are being treated unfairly or differently from other kids in the household.

 

BLENDED FAMILY

TIP # 4 – Affirm that you won’t criticize the children or each other.

 

Such interactions tend to wear away at the primary relationship and discourage open communication between partners, not to mention arousing negative feelings in the children.

Just DECIDE to let go of your desire to criticize each other’s kids.

There will be times that they may annoy or frustrate you but the best course of action is to bite your tongue.

 

 

BLENDED FAMILY

TIP # 5 – Establish healthy relationships first.

 

Before blending the families, recognize the importance of allowing the children the time and space to develop comfortable, healthy relationships.

 

If the kids really know the other parent well and have a well-established, easy relationship with them, household life will go more smoothly once the family “blends.

 

 

BLENDED FAMILY

 

 

BLENDED FAMILY

TIP # 6 – Hold weekly family meetings.

 

For these, everyone in the family is required to attend.

Each person takes turns sharing what they enjoyed about the last week and anything that occurred that troubled them.

 

Avoid turning family meetings into “gripe” sessions.

 

With your partner, set the tone in the meetings.

Encourage your kids to appropriately comment.

Especially with younger kids, make suggestions to help guide the meetings’ discussions.

The goal is for these meetings to be a safe place where everyone in the family can connect with each other and be themselves.

 

 

BLENDED FAMILY

TIP # 7 – Provide options for the children.

 

Allow all the children opportunities to choose what they want to do.

  • One method is to let kids take turns selecting what the weekly family activities will be.
  • If you like, provide parameters for the choices. For example, the kids might choose from going to get ice cream, playing miniature golf or seeing a movie.

 

 

BLENDED FAMILY

 

 

BLENDED FAMILY

TIP # 8 – Show interest in all the kids.

 

Take notice of not only your own kids’ activities, but also your step-children’s interests and hobbies.

 

On the other end of the spectrum, remember not to leave your own kids out in your efforts to include the step-kids.

 

  • If your work schedule allows, attend some of your stepchild’s sports or extracurricular school activities. This will help demonstrate that you notice and care about them.

 

BLENDED FAMILY

TIP # 9 – Have positive exchanges with all the kids.

 

Provide warm feedback each day for each child in the family.

 

Say the child’s name, make eye contact, and use a friendly voice tone.

 

Remember that you’re building relationships based on respect.

When you respect your children, they notice!

Being treated with respect helps contribute to kids treating others and themselves with respect too.

 

In the end, blending a family can be an interesting, challenging, and ultimately very rewarding journey.

 

Make sure to apply these strategies to ensure that your household is functioning positively for a healthy and happy family.

 

 

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