Blending families is more than just about parents and kids; it also means figuring out new relationships with those family members who live outside your house. Join us on this episode of Living Blended as we discuss grandparents, aunts and uncles, etc…, how to introduce and include them, and making sure that kids are getting lots of love from all members of their family regardless of biology.

We all know the statistics about marriages, especially in blended families, not standing the test of time. Help safeguard your relationship by being purposeful about putting your marriage and your spouse first. Join us on this episode of Living Blended as we discuss why we believe it’s best to put your marriage on the forefront and how we prioritize staying connected to each other in the midst of daily life.

It’s Back to School time! As summer fades into fall and kids go back into classrooms, it can be tricky to navigate how to approach a new school year. Join us on this episode as we discuss teacher communication, school shopping and finance, and much more! Get your pencils ready!

Transition days can be tough and tricky for all involved: kids, parents, teachers at times… heck, even pets. Our household is definitely no exception, but there are ways to mitigate some of the stress of it and to make those days, dare I say, even… fun. Listen in as we discuss our love/hate relationship with transition days and how we try our best to keep the day as smooth as possible.

When building a blended family, how and when do you decide on the big things? Staying overnight, moving in, marriage? Some are bigger than others, but none are small, and all should be steps to be taken seriously. Join us on this episode of Living Blended as we talk about those first overnights, a gradual you-live-here-now process, and committing to a forever together.

Sure, you’re showing love to your partner and kids, but are you showing in a way that they’ll see it? If not, you may not be speaking their language… their love language, that is. Join us on this episode of Living Blended as we explore the Five Love Languages and how they’re beneficial is all types of relationships. https://doctorbethanycook.com/blog-1/how-to-identify-understand-and-embrace-your-childs-love-language/

Blending families can be tricky when looking through the eyes of a kid - “Who’s this new person in my life? Why are they spending time with my dad/mom”. So on this episode we talk about how we handle that and how we put an emphasis on one-on-one time with each of the kids.

The most wonderful time of year can be stressful, amiright? Creating traditions and structures that make everyone feel seen and involved, plus a willingness to be flexible can take some of the pressure off. Join us as we discuss traditions that were kept and new ones we’re creating as part of our blended family journey.

How you spend time with your kids is important, but when you have them only part of the time you are faced with odd challenges. We talk through this issues in general and how we navigate though the “Disneyland Dad” issue, one that we like to call the “All Fun Fallacy”.

We set out to be very intentional and purposeful when we introduced the kids into our relationship. Join us on this episode as we talk through name dropping, voice-to-text conversations, and FaceTime encounters. The Stepfamily Handbook:: From Dating, to Getting Serious, to forming a "Blended Family" https://www.amazon.com/dp/172085520X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_TJRPFJA0FV2DSXWHZHSC

Our humble beginnings as a blended family, how dating and looking for partners was different in our 30s, preconceived notions about dating with and without kids, and how COVID impacted our relationship progression in ways big and small.