Blended Family

Why is this so hard.......

When we were dating, I loved her and she loved me. The kids were happy when we were together and we had so much fun with the picnics at the park. We all got along so well together.

   It seemed no sooner than we married my spouse took sides with "their" children when I thought they were supposed to be "ours". It's a battle even to get homework done, and I can't remember the last time someone decided to cooperate! It was supposed to be easy! Something must be wrong with us because other people don't have this much trouble.

   Yes, they do. And what's going on has nothing to do with if you truly love each other. Believe it or not, a lot of this stuff is normal. Now that you know your not crazy (and neither is your family) let me give you something to think about.

   We use the term "blended families" and since we use this term we tend to think of it this way. Blenders combine ingredients very quickly, but everything loses its individuality and is just part of a combined whole. If you were a child it would be terrible to lose "everything" that you ever knew!

   Try thinking of the term "crock pot". You put all of the items in the same place, but you heat and cook slowly. In this way each ingredient (or person) never looses it's individual identity. Over time everyone learns their new place without losing their old relationships.

   Make an appointment and learn some other things to think about as you go on your journey.