Step families

Second Class Citizens?

"Stepping Up in a Stepfamily"

By Ron L. Deal, M.MFT.


 "Thanks for recognizing that we're not the churches' dirty little problem."

Extended Family Home Page Links

Don't Go Nuclear: The Cycles of a Stepfamily.
http://www.successfulstepfamilies.com/view.php/id/31

An excellent article on step-family living found on www.successfulstepfamilies.com, providing Christian resources for pre-remarital couples, stepfamilies, and the churches who serve them.

Challenges for Stepfamilies

Stepfamilies face some additional challenges that "traditional families" could never dream of.  Balancing multiple schedules, households, different rules, strong loyalties and new relationships can create havoc in even the most loving circumstances.  Below are some suggestions for helping these blended families cope.

Have realistic expectations:

Recommended Books on Parenting

  The Smart Step-Family: Seven Steps to a...

  The Single Parent Resource 

Recommended Books on Extended Family Relationships

The Grandparent Guide : The Definitive...

Grandparents as Parents

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective...

Extended Family - FAQ

Q: What do I do if my spouse does not get along with my parents?

A: When your spouse and your parents are in conflict, you may feel upset and stuck in the middle. Even though you might feel pressure, it is not your responsibility to establish family harmony. However, you can generate some ways to better manage the situation.

Finding Quality Childcare

Quick Tips

Childcare - FAQ

Q: What are the different types of childcare?

These days most working parents use a combination of at least 2 types of child care to meet their needs. The typical childcare arrangements are: Child Care Centers, Family Day Homes, In Home Caregivers, and Kith and Kin (friends and family members).

Q: What is quality childcare?

Paying for Childcare

Childcare can be expensive, often taking a large portion of a family's budget. It is important to find out if you qualify for subsidies and to use them to your advantage. Most working parents who are paying for childcare will qualify for the tax credit that is not based on income.

What is a subsidy?

There are two basic types of subsidies:

Strategies to Help Busy People Build Strong Families

After reading this list you will agree that creating a strong family in today's busy world is a matter of choice and priority. Strong families are still the foundation for developing healthy individuals, strong communities, churches, companies, and nations.

The following tried and proven suggestions are gathered from a variety of sources. Chose the ones that you can implement and that you believe will help you build a stronger family. Seek to replicate what has worked for other strong families.