Making Two Homes for Your Child
According to the Stepfamily Association of America, 60 percent of all families are breaking up, and custody and visitation issues loom large in the lives of many parents. Isolina Ricci’s Mom’s House, Dad’s House guides separated, divorced, and remarried parents through the hassles and confusions of setting up a strong, working relationship with the ex-spouse in order to make two loving homes for the kids. This expanded and revised edition (the book was originally published in 1980) includes emotional and legal tools, as well as many reference materials and resources. As one parent said of the first edition, “This book is my friend.”
The groundbreaking classic, now revised, updated and expanded, covers the legal, financial and emotional realities of creating two happy and stable homes for children in the often difficult and confusing aftermath of a divorce.
Stepfamily Australia: Stepfamily: Mom’s House, Dad’s House: Making Two Homes for Your Child
Also Available In:
| • | Paperback – Mom’s House, Dad’s House |
| • | Hardcover – Moms House Dads House |
| • | Unknown Binding – Mom’s House, Dad’s House |
| • | Paperback – Mom’s House, Dad’s House: Making Two Homes for Your Child |
Steps to get your Stepdaughter to stop making life unpleasant
- Step back. Take a good look around. Are you unintentionally
being mean or unfair? If not, got to step two. If yes, ask your
stepdaughter what you can do to be a better step-parent. This will show
your teen that you are truly interested in making the situation more
bearable. And you may be pleasantly surprised with an honest answer
which will help you to adjust and adapt to your new step-family
situation. - Take her shopping. Ask her which stores she wants to go to,
and don’t force her to leave her chosen store just because you don’t
like the store. Don’t expect to be able to buy her love, but this does help if you can find some common ground like shopping together. - Invite her to a surprise outing. Don’t tell her where you are
going, but take her to some cool vintage tea or coffee shop where you
will be able to have a nice conversation. Go to Starbucks only as a
last resort. Starbucks is not the atmosphere you want. Pick a local
place that has a very artsy and cozy feeling. The object is
conversation away from the combat-zone of home. If you can connect
(even a bit) on neutral ground, it will make being home a bit easier
until you can work out where you stand with each other. - Ask her what YOU (The Step-mom) can do to make this transition easier. Do
not blame her for any reason! She will feel resentful of your
accusations and not want to talk with you. This is very important! Your marrying her Father was probably not her choice, so helping her to adjust to the new situation is what you are wanting looking for in this step. - And always remember that children DO grow up and move away.
If you have married her Father, then it is the Father that you are
wanting to spend your life with — not the child, necessarily. Make the
best of the situation with the step-child, but keep in mind that the
end goal is to spend your life with your husband. The step-child will
move away eventually and you can enjoy the life you envisioned with her
Father. Sometimes the most you can hope for is to tolerate the child
…
Read more…Get Your Stepdaughter to Stop Making Your Life Unpleasant – Family Life Wiki
Feeling Trapped By Stepchildren
I need help. I’m married. I have 4 step-kids. I dislike two of them.
One of them (he is 5) tried to choke my 2-year-old. I have to pick them up every other weekend by order of the court (their Dad doesn’t have a license) and then I hide or leave the house as much as possible.
I love my kids and the other two step-kids. I just don’t get why I feel this way.
I also feel trapped. I feel 50 and I’m 25. I want to feel young again.
But I don’t have the money for a sitter and my Mom can’t help because she has had two major heart attacks, and right now she has a broken arm.
My husband’s Mom is a drunk so I won’t leave my kids with her. How can I feel young again and still have my kids with me? Please help.
Read more…Feeling Trapped By Stepchildren – Motherlode Blog – NYTimes.com
