As parents, we want to feel we, and our kids, have achieved a level of success. But what exactly is success? Well, it depends on your ...

Adoption is obviously a better alternative to a child languishing “in the system” – living in foster care or an orphanage. That’s why I have worked many ...

It is never a surprise to me when I talk with families who have blended two households to hear of the power struggle over who is ...

“The best way to keep children at home is to make the home atmosphere pleasant, and let the air out of the tires.”  ~Dorothy Parker By Pamela ...

When was the last time you sat down with your kids and simply had a conversation?This is something that is becoming a rare event in most ...

While most – 90 percent – of stepfamilies are formed after at least one partner has experienced a divorce, it may be surprising to learn that ...

To spank or not to spank, that is the question. How do you teach respect? Will your child’s strong will conquer you before you conquer it? ...

Scott and Lori already had two little boys when they adopted 6-year-old Michael through the foster care system. They knew Michael had been severely neglected by ...

I’m affectionately known as the “step monster”; at least I hope it’s affectionately. My husband and I got married when my stepson, Sean, was 7. I ...

If you are one of the millions of remarried Americans facing the challenge of blending two existing families into one cohesive whole, you are part of ...

Whether your children are yours biologically or you are part of a blended or adoptive family, you can have a significant impact on each of your ...

Successfully blending two families is a challenge and can be fraught with difficulty. In Happily Remarried, David and Lisa Frisbie share insights and advice gained from ...

When it comes to having “unique issues,” adopted teens seem to have more than their share. When an adopted child struggles with the who and why of their ...

Sometimes in the rush of everyday life, we forget to do the things that matter most in the lives of our children. Here are several great, ...

Learning what our kids do best is both exciting and important. Especially if you are part of a blended family, you may have more than a ...

If you are interested in adoption, do not let the size of Adoption: Your Step-by-Step Guide, by Mardie Caldwell, daunt you. A bibliography of useful websites ...

Every day hundreds of orphaned or unwanted children from around the world find welcome and love from men and women in the United States through adoption. I want to applaud ...

Outside of the land of television and movies, so-called “blended families” face tremendous challenges. Whereas Hollywood can help its “make-believe” families “blend” rather nicely, real life ...

When I am traveling, my associates and friends know there is a BlackBerry attached to my hip. As annoying as it may be to them at ...

Do you remember the old "Star Trek" television shows and those futuristic gadgets they used to communicate with each other? It seemed so far-fetched at the ...

When I see a parent struggling with their children’s choices and actions, the first thing I want to do is what I call “mirror therapy”— a ...

Parents passionately want to succeed in raising emotionally healthy children. They also want to enjoy their little ones. When their children arrive later in infancy or ...

Statistics show that “approximately 1300 new stepfamilies are formed every day in the US, and it’s predicted that by 2010 there will be more stepfamilies in ...

I read a Mother’s Day card written by a young lady to her stepmother. She wrote:“I thank God for his divine insight to see I needed ...

Blake was a 10-year-old boy who was full of energy, a delight to be around and just plain creative. His parent’s described him as the kid ...

Every one-on-one relationship comes with its own challenges, but those are multiplied when two families are brought together under one roof. In the stepfamily, you don't ...

“The life we have is the life we allow. If we allow work, friends, schedules, etc. to edge out time with our spouse and/or family it ...

By Torry MartinChristmas, a time when most people eagerly shop early and joyously wrap their presents with care. I however am not most people. I prefer ...

A crowd of 12,000 claps and screams as the floodlights hit the stage. Steven Curtis Chapman takes a bow and waves. The ovations, for this Grammy ...

By Deb Shrier, MSW, LCSW"You need to be your child's biggest advocate..." Remember hearing that in your pre-adopt class? The social worker's goal at that class ...

In this special report, adoptive mother Pamela Kruger reports that more and more of us are adopting after having birth children.I had just signed up to ...

As a psychologist and counselor, I find that there are 21 essentials you can expect when receiving counseling for problems in your blended family.But first, what ...