My Stepdaughter got $450 for birthday and Christmas from her dad and I, and other members of my family (grandparents etc). Her dad has told her it has to stay at our house for two reasons. One being we don’t trust her mom not to take it from her, and also we would like to be with […]
Hannah and Fard have ended their time as life partners and they’ve penned an excerpt that has the internet abuzz. In this day in age, especially considering the work I do, seeing new divorcees breaking bread is RARE. Here are 5 lessons learned in hindsight from Hannah and Fard. We wish their family love and […]
I get A LOT of inspiration from the Blended & Black Facebook group. Yesterday someone posted this picture on the group’s wall. We see the child surrounded and supported by ALL of her parents. These folk seem to have gotten it right. I know there are many people that have a strong desire for this […]
Today I talked with Blended and Black member, Antoinette. Together she and her Husband have blended clan of 8 children! Yup 8 kids! Her Husband has 4 from a previous marriage. Antoinette has 3. And together they have 1. Antoinette shares anecdotes about how to support a Spouse that share’s kids with a high-conflict ex. […]
Are you dealing with disrespectful stepkids? Why would they be disrespectful? Like it or not, phrases like, “You’re not my Mom!” may be thrown around in times of disobedience and defiance. As a pruned at this very moment to defy my Husband and I every chance they get. They are being severely alienated and have […]
Are you dealing with disrespectful stepkids? Why would they be disrespectful? Like it or not, phrases like, “You’re not my Mom!” may be thrown around in times of disobedience and defiance. As a pruned at this very moment to defy my Husband and I every chance they get. They are being severely alienated and have […]
HEAR ME OUT BEFORE I GET AN #EyeRoll! Today, let’s TRY a little tenderness! If you’re in a high conflict co-parenting situation, the last thing you may want to do is send niceties to the ONE person who’s mission is to make your life a living hell. I want to nudge you to try something […]
There are many adults whom hate their fathers. You may not respect his new Wife, you do not speak to your half-siblings- yet your Mother can do no wrong. There are many adults who’s dear Mother alienated them and they do not even know it. She manipulated your young mind because she was in pain. […]
In a blog post that soon went viral, Candice Curry, 39, wrote ‘you were supposed to be hideous, remember? But you weren’t, you were stunningly beautiful’ Happy family: Candice Curry, left, and her daughter Stiles with stepmum Ashley Parish Many mothers dread the idea of another woman raising their child, but one has decided to […]
After reading the list, don’t get discouraged when you notice that some of your own behaviors have been alienating your ex-spouse. This is normal in even the best of parents. Instead, let the list help sensitize you to how you are behaving and what you are saying to your children. Here are common mistakes: To […]
You may think, at first pass, that co-parenting with your child’s stepmother is unreasonable. If you think about it, we get to know our children’s teachers, doctors, daycare providers, their friend’s and their parents, and anyone else involved with our children. Why wouldn’t you want to get to know the other mother in your child’s […]
Father’s are supposed to protect their little ones from all the scary, physical and emotional dangers of the world. So what’s a mom to do when the man she created a new life with turns out to be the first person who breaks her child’s heart? With so many shining examples of great fathers everywhere […]
I said I would never divorce. I am the child of divorced parents, and I had no intentions of putting my children through that experience. “Life,” however, had other plans and I find myself in the midst of separation. This set of circumstances forces me to examine my past experience in hopes to prepare both […]
Separation from your lifetime partner can be a heart wrenching affair. It is a death that we do not always prepare for and often don’t expect. Most of us see hard times and arguments and are aware of the work it takes to hold a marriage together, but what do you do when it falls […]
A warning for Stepmoms (and biomoms). Yes Stepmoms, you read that right. The BioMonster (high conflict bio mom) you’re dealing with was created with your help – the Stepmom who chose a life most would run away from. For those of you who haven’t heard of the term “BioMonster,” I’ll define it like this: a […]
For the 1st episode of B&B TV, I’ve partnered with CelebrityXO to bring you a Pop Culture edition of Blended and Black TV! I’m so excited about this collaboration because I get to mesh my favorite topic, Blended Families with one of my other favorite things to chat about: TEA! This week we’re discussing Megan Markle’s […]
I pulled this excerpt from a paper written by Dr. Linda Neilsen. This is another one of the pieces I wish I had when I began my Stepmom journey. I would encourage SM and BMs to read it….carefully. -Naja Below are the situational factors which will determine what kind of relationship you have with your […]
I’m so excited to share that Blended & Black has been nominated for The Sunshine Blogger Award by KandyAppleMama! The Sunshine Blogger Award is given from bloggers to other bloggers who are creative, positive and inspiring. Once nominated, the blogger is required to write a post where they: Thank the blogger who nominated them and link […]
Sis, May I have a word with you for a second? There are far too many good men who are fighting to be involved in the life of a child they created only to be constantly turned away by a bio-mom. There is also a statistic of women who are fighting to have their child’s […]
What if I told you that all Babymamas are not evil ? While she may be perceived as bitter, angry or spiteful, she really doesn’t mean to be. Now hear me out! I grew up with a Southern Granny and she had a favorite saying, “pay that no mind”? My Grandmother was trying to communicate […]
I’ve always felt that Black women are the footstools of America. Both figuratively and literally, it was on the backs of the Black woman that this country has prospered. We have bred children like cattle to be ripped from our womb’s and sold off to the highest bidder, our breast milk has sustained Massa’s (Slave […]
Stepping on my pink soapbox……. Your personal presumptions on a topic, do not make it the gospel. As much as we would like others to see with the same sainthood as Mary of Magdalene, many Single mothers are not afforded that grace. There’s no need to recreate the definition of single parent and redraw the […]
I know a few parents that have #Alientated their kids against their coparent. Some have been unintentional occurrences of making back biting comments or expressing unnecessary feelings in front of the child. Others are more overt, like blocking phone calls, making demands beyond court orders, telling the kids their parent does not love them etc. […]
In an all around tragedy, an 18-year-old woman is dead after being repeatedly run over and rammed into a tree by her boyfriend’s child’s mother. Tatyanna Lewis, 18, was killed by a 24-year-old woman Friday night (May 12) in Chicago just after 11 p.m. The attacker — whose name has not been released — rammed Lewis […]