FamilyLife Blended® Minute

Don’t Assume, Ask the Stepmom

with Ron Deal | November 26, 2018
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Being a stepmom is different from being a Mom. So I tell stepmoms, slow your roll and adjust your expectations. But dads need to adjust their expectations, too. If a dad assumes his kids will embrace her as Mom, he expects too much and that leads to conflict. So dad: cherish her as your wife and give her Mom-like respect in front of your kids. Ask her if she's comfortable with a particular role or parenting task. Don't assume and play to her strengths so everyone wins.

  • Show Notes

  • About the Host

  • About the Guest

  • Being a stepmom is different from being a Mom. So I tell stepmoms, slow your roll and adjust your expectations. But dads need to adjust their expectations, too. If a dad assumes his kids will embrace her as Mom, he expects too much and that leads to conflict. So dad: cherish her as your wife and give her Mom-like respect in front of your kids. Ask her if she's comfortable with a particular role or parenting task. Don't assume and play to her strengths so everyone wins.

  • Ron Deal

    Ron L. Deal is one of the most widely read and viewed experts on blended families in the country. He is Director of FamilyLife Blended® for FamilyLife®, founder of Smart Stepfamilies™, and the author and Consulting Editor of the Smart Stepfamily Series of books including the bestselling Building Love Together in Blended Families: The 5 Love Languages® and Becoming Stepfamily Smart (with Dr. Gary Chapman), The Smart Stepfamily: 7 Steps to a Healthy Family, and Preparing to Blend. Ron is a licensed marriage and family therapist, popular conference speaker, and host of the FamilyLife Blended podcast. He and his wife, Nan, have three sons and live in Little Rock, Arkansas. Learn more at FamilyLife.com/blended.

No, don’t assume. Ask the stepmom.