Blended Family Breakthrough

243. How Stepparents Can Thrive by Protecting Their Heart, While Still Showing Up [with Laura Petherbridge]

Stepparenting can be deeply meaningful, but it can also leave you feeling rejected, exhausted, and unsure of your place in the family. We know how painful it is to care a

Simple Step: Get on the Same Page

Resources Episode 167. Achievable Strategies to Make Your Marriage the Foundation of Your Blended Family Episode 206. Avoid These 5 Common Pitfalls  to Ensure a Success

242. Stepparent Burnout? 4 Steps to Reduce Resentment and Rebalance Roles

Stepparent burnout doesn't start in a dramatic moment. It develops quietly as a stepparent keeps giving, serving, adjusting, but ends up with this increasing feeling

Simple Step: Managing the Motivational Gap

Resources: Episode 241: Before you Take it Personally: Why the Backlash to Accept a Stepparent? Building Love Together in Blended Families by Ron Deal and Gary Chapman

241. Before You Take It Personally: 5 Reasons Kids Resist a Stepparent

When we got married, we both wanted our new family to feel safe, connected, and secure. But good intentions didn’t prepare us for the painful tension that sometimes hit b

A Short Summer Pause and What’s Coming August 4th

We’re popping in with a short summer update before taking a brief pause from releasing new episodes throughout July 2026. But don’t worry, we’re not going anywhere! We’

Simple Step: How Patience and Persistence Create Space for Bonding

Resources Episode 240. Energize Family Bonds One Meaningful Conversation at a Time [with Ashley Noelle]Order your Blended Bond Deck here: blendedbond.com (be sure to use

240. Energize Family Bonds One Meaningful Conversation at a Time [with Ashley Noelle]

In blended family life, it’s easy for kids, parents, and stepparents to feel unsure, unseen, or disconnected as everyone adjusts to new relationships, new rhythms, and ne

Simple Step: Healthy Boundaries that Protect Relationships

Resources Click here to schedule your FREE COACHING CALL239.  Feeling Responsible for Everyone? How Codependency Hinders Family Relationships and How to Heal [with Miche

239. Feeling Responsible for Everyone? How Codependency Hinders Family Relationships and How to Heal [with Michelle Farris]

Codependency can be tricky to recognize because it often looks like love, generosity, or “just trying to help.” But when our giving turns into fixing, rescuing, controlli

Simple Step: Assertive Communication

Resources Episode 50. How to Openly Communicate What You Really Want  Episode 179. Conquer Fear and Embrace Your Blend with Confidence and Clarity  Episode 98. Is fear

238. Co-Parenting Conflict? 4 Tools for Effective Communication to Increase Cooperation and Create Boundaries

Co-parenting conversations can escalate fast, especially when an ex is reactive, manipulative, dismissive, or unreasonable. It’s tempting to defend yourself, fire back, o

237. Communication Frustration? Gain Powerful Tools & Insight to Help Reduce Conflict & Stay Connected

If there’s one thing we’ve learned in our 25 years of marriage, parenting, and blended family life, it’s this: communication problems aren’t about bad intentions more oft

Simple Step: Navigating Mother's Day

Resources Episode 236. Does it Ever Get Easier? How to Stay Hopeful by Playing the Long Game [with Gayla Grace]Episode 157. 3 Seasoned Stepmoms Share How They've Su

236. Does it Ever Get Easier? How to Stay Hopeful by Playing the Long Game [with Gayla Grace]

In this episode, we sit down with our friend Gayla Grace for a deeply encouraging conversation about what it really takes to build a strong blended family over time. Gayl

Simple Step. The Value of 1 on 1 Bio-Time

Resources from this episode Episode 235. Stepparenting Takes Two: How to Build Connection and Avoid Common Wrong Turns Episode 103. 4 Revealing Myths About 1 on 1 Time

235. Stepparenting Takes Two: How to Build Connection and Avoid Common Wrong Turns

When we got married, we stepped into blended family life with a lot of hope, but also a lot of unrealistic expectations. We thought connection would come quickly, parenti

Simple Step: Outlaw Words that Drive Negativity

Resources Episode 234. Caught in the Negative?  How to Reframe Painful Moments and Regain Hope  Episode 106. How to Avoid "Outlaw Words" [with Mark Warren] Suggest a T

234. Caught in the Negative? How to Reframe Painful Moments and Regain Hope

The reality is, blended family life gives us plenty of painful moments to get caught up in: tension with an ex, a hard interaction with a stepchild, a family activity tha

Simple Step: 3 Financial Questions with Brian K. Peterson

Resources Get your FREE copy of Blended Family Finances (limited offer) by Brian K. PetersonTo connect with Brian, CLICK HERE (Endurance Financial Group / Blended Family