Let’s continue with living with integrity. The last point we discussed was keeping your word and teaching the value of this to your teenager. Let’s look at some other essential points.

2) Acknowledgment.

Have you noticed it’s easy to find fault and comment on it? What doesn’t come as natural is acknowledging a good act. It’s important to acknowledge good behavior in your teenager. What makes a good parent is creating an environment in the home so your teenager is Continue reading Parenting and Expectations with Teenagers Part 3

Ok, so now we have discussed patience and taking responsibility in blended families.

Let’s talk about Leadership in blended families.

Leadership, by parents, is the cornerstone of success in blended families. Leadership means that the parents are going to run the family. It means that the parents are going to get past a lot of past baggage from previous relationships and act like adults.

The rules are not set in stone on how to set up the leadership structure of the family, but one thing that is set in stone is that at least one of the parents, in blended families, must be that leader. The children cannot be the leader. This last sentence may sound absolutely ridiculous to many of you but I can tell you I have counseled many families and blended families where that was the case. Its not that the kids Continue reading Patience and Leadership in Blended Families: Part 3

In the last article on “Patience and Leadership in Blended Families” we talked about the need for patience in bringing two families together to become a blended family.

Before we can move on to leadership in blended families, we need to talk about a sensitive area. That being, “What didn’t we do so great in our first marriage”. The worst thing we can do, I believe, when attempting to start a new family, is not look at how we can improve our skill levels as parents prior  to the commencement of it.

Let’s get it out in the open. No matter how much we want to blame the “ex”, ask the question, “Does it help me or my new family any bit to blame the ex”? Of course, it doesn’t! All we can do is keep improving ourselves. Understand, for what ever reason you are starting new blended families, (I say families because we are all in this together), you are taking a bold and risky step. I did it myself. So, I know.

How are you going to prepare yourself to be a better spouse and parent in new blended families?

I like quotes, so I’m going to give you one here. Continue reading Patience and Leadership in Blended Families: Part 2

This blog will be a little more practical than the two previous ones. If you are having problems getting your kids to do their chores or want to give your kids chores and don’t know how to, this is for you. Parenting tips and chores.

Why should your kids have chores?

Can you answer this question that will make sense to your kids and get them to do them?

If you can’t answer the question you just figured out the first problem. If you can answer the question and your kids aren’t doing their chores then you haven’t explained it to them properly.

Parenting Tip #1 Continue reading Parenting Tips and Chores