Positively Bonnie

Get Inspired by Mrs. Delaware, a Stepmom on August 6

Thursday, July 26, 2012
Are you a stepmother who is trying to juggle many balls in the air at once? Can you benefit from a shot of inspiration? If so, don't miss my radio show interview on August 6 with the amazing Mrs. Delaware United States, Dr. Francine Edwards. She is a mom and stepmom to four children, an Associate Professor at Delaware State University, the newly crowned Mrs. Delaware, a novelist, and that's just a small piece of what she has accomplished. Her platform as Mrs. Delaware is all about supporting blended families...

Francine participated in the Mrs. United States Pageant on July 12, and in the national forum of the pageant, her platform spotlighted issues of blended families and stepparenting.  Unfortunately, she did not win the Mrs. United States title, but she is a winner in our view, and you can bet she won't be slowing down any time soon.  
You can read more about Francine Edwards in the RemarriageWorks article, "Mrs. Delaware Brings National Exposure to Blended Families." Join me on August 6, 8-9 p.m. EST for a motivating and lively discussion with Mrs. Delaware on the RemarriageWorks BlogTalkRadio show featured by Stepmoms Toolbox.


Top Secrets of Stepfathers

Friday, June 01, 2012
Looking back over my last nine years in a blended family, I think I could have done a better job, especially when it comes to understanding my husband and his point of view on parenting and stepparenting. Sometimes I wondered why is he doing what he is doing? I just didn't get it so many times. Even after asking him! Do you want to know how a stepdad thinks, feels, and deals with stepfamily challenges? Tune in to my RemarriageWorks show on June 4 at 8 p.m. EST as I interview our advice columnist, Chuck Semich about the "Top Secrets of Stepfathers." 

Chuck Semich, a licensed family therapist who specializes in stepfamily relations in his private practice, was a stepchild and is a long-time stepfather and step-grandfather. Chuck's professional and personal experience with stepfamily living runs deep and wide. In honor of Father's Day, I thought it would be great to hear a man's point of view on blended families, stepparenting, and life as a stepdad.

This is your chance to hear the top secrets of stepfathers! Send your questions for Chuck to [email protected] or Tweet @RemarriageWorks by noon on June 4, and I will consider including them. One of my questions will be: "What do stepdads know that stepmoms don't?" And, "How does my husband seem to compartmentalize stepfamily challenges really well, and I don't?" More importantly, "How can I do that, too?"

The RemarriageWorks show will air live on the Stepmom's Toolbox Network on June 4 at 8 p.m. EST. It's a great opportunity to learn about what makes the stepfathers in our blended families tick!


Tune in Tonight! Parenting Teens in Your Blended Family

Monday, March 05, 2012
Do you have teenagers in your stepfamily? Are you struggling with your spouse over parenting teenagers in your blended family? Tune in tonight at 8 pm EST to my RemarriageWorks show, "Parenting Teens in Your Blended Family." I'll be interviewing Al Betz, author of Outfluence, The Better Way to Influence, and founder of Outfluence LLC which offers coaching, training, and public speaking to teens, families and other audiences interested in improving communication. 

Al Betz is an entrepreneur, author, and a public speaker who believes in hard work, inspired performance, second chances, and always moving forward. Join us as Al offers tips and wisdom about understanding teens and communicating with them. 

There are five kids in our blended family.  At one time, four of our five kids were teenagers all at once. Looking back, I'm not sure how we survived! I'm eager to hear Al discuss some tips to help parenting and step-parenting teens go more smoothly. This topic ins't covered often enough. You can tweet your questions to us @RemarriageWorks. And, if you are going to be an instant stepmom or stepdad of a teenager, you may want to especially tune in so you know what to expect.


A Great Bonus for Stepparents Who Want to Change Their Mindset!

Thursday, January 05, 2012
For stepmothers who may be struggling with stress or depression and for stepparents who have lost all hope of being happy or at peace in their stepfamily, my RemarriageWorks.com radio show, "RemarriageWorks: Stepmom's Prerogative, Changing Mindset" on January 2 featured a special guest, Mindset Coach and author of Life As An Onion: The Journey Back to Your Core, Renee Canali. During the interview, Renee made some great offers to help those of you who are looking to step into 2012 with a fresh perspective in your stepfamily life. Now Renee is offering even more tools to help you at no cost!   

Renee Canali and I explored how our stepchildren reflect back to us what we need to change or adopt in our relationship with them, and she shared some exercises to help you shift your mindset and help you think about you and your role in your stepfamily from a different perspective.

During the call, Renee graciously offered a FREE 30 minute coaching consultation by phone, and for those who buy her book, Life As An Onion: The Journey Back to Your Core she offered her free report. 

Now it gets even better than that!  I invite you to listen to the show and take advantage of Renee's valuable offer, including a coaching consultation at no cost from Renee.  Plus, for those who leave feedback in the comment section under the podcast or right here (below) in this very blog, you will receive a complimentary downloadable pdf copy of Renee's ebook, Your Greatest Asset is Your Mindset, based on a presentation she gave at the National Institutes of Health. 

If you've been wanting to feel better, improve your stepparenting, and/or look at things in your stepfamily in a positive way, I hope you take advantage of this! I've personally been a client of Renee's, and it has made a tremendous difference in my life. (By the way, I am NOT being paid for this endorsement.) I want more stepmoms and stepdads (or even future stepmothers and stepfathers) to know about a resource which can help them work through some challenging stepparenting times. It's free. Why not give it a shot?

2nd Wedding Wednesday: Where Will We Live as a Stepfamily?

Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Finding a home to call your own is often far from a walk in the park for remarried couples and stepfamilies. There are so many factors to include. Which house do you keep? Which do you sell? Or, do you just bite the bullet and sell them both? Ideally, the most viable decision would be to purchase a new home that you can truly call your own. But, we all know about the country's current economic woes, so that may not always be possible.

If your remarriage includes children, incorporate them in the search for the perfect residence. According to Jeannette Lofas, with Dawn B. Sova in Stepparenting, "look over magazines together before starting your new home and discuss the pictures in the magazines rather than argue over an actual new home with your family. If there are going to be some deep arguments about your tastes in living quarters, this is a good way to begin developing family cohesion."

One key factor in a move remarriage-style is location. The children are already overwhelmed with the adjustment of what they had viewed as their family, and now they are dealing with new family relationships. To avoid any additional trauma, keeping the kids in their same school district is probably a smart move. More quests for the perfect home are limited to a certain area for this reason.

Some blended families are comprised of more than one or two children who have been accustomed to having their own room. This may drive you to attempt to purchase a home big enough to accommodate each child. Making an effort to have the kids feel part of the family is a top priority. The last thing you want to hear is "Why do I have to share a room, and he/she doesn't?" Or, "Why do I have to change schools, and he/she doesn't?"

Many remarrying couples try to keep everyone happy. That's a major challenge. And, finding a new house can be a financial burden. For couples who are remarrying and older, the idea of buying a five bedroom house when retirement is just around the corner may not seem reasonable.

Despite all the challenges and accommodations that go into selecting the perfect roof for your stepfamily to live under, finding a home is just another step in the so-called blending process. Remarriage and stepfamily living is a journey. And, it is one to handle with care down to the smallest detail.




Our Top 10 Remarriage & Stepfamily Blogs List for 2010

Monday, January 31, 2011
I am really excited about our latest feature article on RemarriageWorks.com, "Top 10 Remarriage & Stepfamily Blogs for 2010!" We've spent the past year looking at nearly 100 blogs that deal with stepparenting, remarriage, co-parenting, and divorce. There is a lot more information to be found about these topics than there was just five years ago. My sincere hope is that we have saved you time by providing you valuable, trusted tools and resources that you can use today to find and/or maintain happiness in your remarriage and stepfamily life.

Each of these bloggers brings something unique to the table. I think you'll be amazed at what they have to offer. If you go to any of their websites for the first time, let them know how you found them. And, if you, yourself blog about anything related to stepfamilies, remarriage, divorce, or co-parenting, please let us know. We'd love to follow your blog in 2011.



Recent Posts

  • Congratulations to Dr. William Petit on His Remarriage!
  • The New Brady Bunch Reboot With Vince Vaughn
  • Get Inspired by Mrs. Delaware, a Stepmom on August 6
  • Check Out the NARME Conference in Baltimore
  • 3 Top Questions Remarried Couples Should Ask When They Disagree
  • Top Secrets of Stepfathers
  • Why Cheer for the New Mrs. Delaware United States?
  • Mother's Day 2012: My Favorite Picture
  • Top Three Tips for Planning Your Second Wedding from StaceyLu
  • My Show Tonight: Eat, Drink & Remarry with StaceyLu

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