This topic is challenging. If a stepparent gets off to a bad start with the stepchildren, he or she may never be able to recover. Sadly, this happened when I remarried. My husband and I each had two children in the third grade to tenth grade age range. My husband knew that I had […]

    It’s a tough topic. People don’t like to think about it. They don’t want to know how many people are affected by it. According to a 2010 CDC study,* one of every four women and one of every seven men experience stalking or physical violence from an intimate partner. That’s 25% of women

  Most children do not want their parents to get divorced. They may feel angry, depressed, and/or scared. It may take them some time to regain their sense of security. Most, however, are resilient. They learn to cope with the changes in their lives. Lasting damage results not primarily from the divorce itself but from

  Today’s tip: If you have a Court Order about custody, visitation, or support, read it at least once a year. You may have rights or obligations that you have forgotten about. One time I worked with a dad who had the right to take his child somewhere for 3 hours after school every school

  by guest author Dave Flook Sometimes the consequences of our actions are not apparent until it’s too late. Several months ago I was approached by a girl in her mid-teens. She mentioned that she had seen an article for Not All Dads Are Deadbeats in the local newspaper and that she recognized me from

    Telling your child awful things about your ex usually damages your child and frequently backfires. As a family mediator, I hear one parent say horrible things about the other parent all the time. Saying these things to me in a confidential setting is fine. Saying the same things to your child or even

  1. I cannot fix everything for everybody. People have the personalities, anxieties, hostilities, and blind spots that they have, and I cannot always get them to think and speak from the best parts of themselves and cooperate to do what will be good for their kids. 2. I am not allowed to give legal

    For many, Thanksgiving is a happy family gathering time. For others, it is a day when you have to see your dysfunctional relatives. For others, including divorced parents whose children will be with their other parent this year, it may be sad and lonely. If that group includes you, I hope you make

  Divorce often involves riding an emotional roller coaster: fear, anger, relief, denial, grief, exhilaration, guilt, blame, despair, anxiety, and, one hopes, belief in your ability to heal and build a good life for yourself and your children. When I divorced, there was no magic pill for dealing with the crazy emotions, the financial issues,