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 […]
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 […]
This question raises several issues. The most important one may be the definition of mental illness. It is very normal for divorce to elicit strong feelings, often negative ones—and for these feelings to change from sadness to anger, guilt, or shame. It is often typical for divorcing partners to label each other as “bi-polar” as […]
Alma’s speech became stilted, and her eyes brimmed with tears as she shared the moment she knew her marriage was over. It was not a matter of infidelity, immorality, or a lack of love that ended her marriage of three years. In fact, she and her husband deeply loved each other—but his manic episodes had […]
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 […]
The most unfortunate time in a relationship is when you realize it has reached its climax. The best times have passed and it’s all downhill from here. Many of us will fight tooth and nail to salvage love, but sadly when our efforts are in vain we must begin the process of learning to live […]
By Naja Hall I normally rest up on Saturday mornings, but this tea is far too juicy not to share! I came across this post in my Facebook news feed and I am not sure what’s more interesting, the scorned wife’s note or the comments section! I was thoroughly entertained by both, and from the […]
Back in the good old days when all we had were pagers — scratch that, let’s go even further. Back in the good old days when all we had were answering machines and a mailbox, breaking up was much easier to do. All you had to do was stop sending mail and calling each other. […]
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 […]
I’m a stepmom. I’ve written about it before but I consider being a stepmom one of the luckiest things that has ever happened to me. Some of you other stepmoms out there aren’t so lucky, and for whatever reasons you have bio-moms who you just can’t get along with, and who just can’t get along […]
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 […]
Too often women are saddled down with labels. We are constantly forced into a box of good, bad, worthy, unworthy and more. Women are seen as a second-class citizens in society and when it comes to parenting, there is no difference. We often hear men speak on their bitter baby mommas. She doesn’t want […]
THE GOOD WIFE Who’s helping You, when his Ex is a Borderline? Whether it’s your husband or lover who has gotten involved with a borderline disordered female, you’re in for some harrowing times. This issue becomes a monumentally stressful exercise for both of you–but sadly, you’ll generally end up feeling the brunt of it, not […]
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 […]
Most mothers reflect fondly upon the day their children were born as one that tested her strength, her faith, her pain tolerance and her undying love for a child she’d never met. The birth bond is so strong that every mother could probably recount everything leading up to the moment her child was born. When […]
Blended and Black founder, Naja Hall spoke with AskSharifah on Sharifah Hardie’s long-running LA talk radio show. The ladies had a full 1 hour session on-air and it was full of so many sistafriend moments. They spoke about Naja’s experiences as a Family Life Coach and some best practices in dealing with high-conflict personalities, mental illness, […]
Like most women that are falling in love, I was hopeful and anxious when my Future Husband and I began dating. He is an astonishing man! He’s tall, dark and very handsome. He is kind and gentle. He has rock hard abs! He is also a Father. The latter was a tough fact for me […]
BEST APPS FOR CO-PARENTING When it comes to divorce, technology often gets a bad rap. Many people cite phone addictions and their partners social media usage as contributing factors to their relationship breakdown. Yet not all technology is bad. These co-parenting apps show just how beneficial tech can be. Divorce is hard enough – let your phone […]
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 […]
Mrs. Uloma Curry-Walker has been found guilty of aggravated murder, conspiracy, felonious assault and other charges in the Nov. 3, 2013 slaying of her then-husband of four months, William Walker. The wife of the Cleveland firefighter was convicted Friday of soliciting his death to collect on insurance money. Little did she know, her husband had […]
Hypothetically speaking, if your co-parent approached you and gave you their most honest reason explaining why they are high-conflict, inconsistent, or not involved -would you listen and accept their response? Would you offer solutions to help ease them back into your child’s life? Would you berate them and spew insults? I recently posed this question […]
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 […]
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 […]