The adjective “blended” is frequently used to describe stepfamilies. Unfortunately, this term makes the stepfamily process sound like a smooth transition, uninterrupted by conflict or disagreement. Anyone who has been a member of a stepfamily—myself included—knows that this is not the case. Dr. Patricia Papernow, author of Surviving and Thriving in Stepfamily Relationships, identifies five […]
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A month before her first book was published, Jessica Rector found out she was pregnant. Having lived the life of a broadcast journalist, coach, and adventurous traveler, Jessica initially found her new identity as a single parent isolating and overwhelming. The negative depiction of single mothers in the media and in political debates fanned the
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Family Matters, hosted by Dr. Virginia Colin, has been on VoiceAmerica.com for 3 1/2 months now. Here is a list of the topics discussed and links to their recordings. You can listen to any episode via internet any time you want. You can also download any episode as a podcast, free from iTunes or Stitcher. If you listen
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Teens who often eat dinner with the family apparently: have better relationships with their parents, get better grades, use tobacco, alcohol and other drugs less than other teens, and like having dinner with the family. Unfortunately, these data may not explain what causes what. For example, maybe having a better relationship with their parents makes
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When I created the chart below, I was thinking about family mediation, because that’s what I do. Most of the benefits, however, apply to many different kinds of disputes or conflicts. It could be a landlord-tenant issue, a dispute between a homeowner and a contractor, a serious quarrel among neighbors about parking or pets, a
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by Virginia L Colin, Ph.D. The short version? It’s a calling. Here is the longer version: My first clue about what I should be doing came late in the 1990′s, when I learned that a friend was in a custody war that had been going on for a year and a half, with many
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My standard holiday advice: Plan something that you will look forward to and enjoy doing on the holiday. Don’t sit home crying over the absence of your ex. Get together with friends for dinner, card games, watching a hockey game, watching a movie, baking cookies with your kids, discussing books you have read recently,
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With a little education, many ex-couples can resolve most questions on their own. For example, it may be obvious to one couple that, because their two apartments are a quarter of a mile away from each other and in the same school district, and because their kids love and need both parents, the kids should
What Parenting Schedule is Best for Your Kids? Read More »
by Dave Landry Jr. and Virginia L Colin, Ph.D. (mostly Dave) If you have decided to divorce, that was probably a very difficult choice to make. Divorce can involve stressful emotions and stressful negotiations about legal matters. This is especially likely when a divorce involves children and complex finances. Your divorce can become ugly, messy,
Gary Anderson, who created this infographic for Ramos Law Group, is a freelance writer from Los Angeles, California. With over 10 years of experience writing for many different industries, he is an accomplished and published writer and editor. In his free time, he enjoys gardening.
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