Blended Family Breakthrough

We’re popping in with a short summer update before taking a brief pause from releasing new episodes throughout July 2026.

But don’t worry, we’re not going anywhere!

We’re using July to prepare some fun and helpful new things we’ll begin sharing August 4th, including new podcast episodes in both audio and video.

Before we talk about what’s coming, we’re also taking a few minutes to reflect on something every blended family experiences: change. Whether it’s a shift in schedule, a new family rhythm, a move, or a parenting adjustment, change can stir up more than we expect.

That doesn’t mean change is wrong. It simply means healthy change needs clarity, patience, communication, collaboration, and room for everyone to adjust.

During July, we’d love for you to stay connected by revisiting past episodes, taking or retaking the updated Blended Family Breakthrough Quiz, and checking out our free audio course, The Five-Minute Blended Family Reset, inside the Blended Family Breakthrough app.

Then we’ll be back August 4th with new episodes, including important conversations about stepparent burnout and the complex question of having an “ours” baby.

You’ll Discover

• Why we’re taking a short pause from releasing new episodes throughout July
• How change can impact kids, parents, stepparents, and couples in blended family life
• What’s coming when the podcast returns in both audio and video on August 4th
• How the updated Blended Family Breakthrough Quiz and The Five-Minute Blended Family Reset can help you keep growing during July

Resources Mentioned

• The updated Blended Family Breakthrough Quiz
• Download the Blended Family Breakthrough app in the App Store or Google Play
• Check out the Five-Minute Blended Family Reset audio course right inside the app!
• Subscribe to the Blended Family Breakthrough Podcast on YouTube

Other Resources

• Episode 89. Feeling Stuck in the Change Process?  Change Isn't the Issue - Transition Is
• Episode 18. How to Help Kids Navigate Transition and Change
• Episode 222. Step-by Step Guide:  Facing Painful Pushback Without Making Things Worse

Suggest a Topic or Ask a Question  

Would you like us to discuss something specific or answer your question on the show?  Let us know!

We've made it easy.  Just click here:  https://www.blendedfamilybreakthrough.com/share

Ready for some extra support?

We all need some extra support along the blending journey — we're here to help.  You can connect with us for a free coaching call to see how we might help you experience more clarity, confidence and connection in your home.  Schedule your free call here:  https://www.blendedfamilybreakthrough.com/free-call

You don't need to navigate blended family life alone.  Join our supportive community where you'll connect directly with us and other couples just like you who are intentionally investing in healthy blending strategies.  Click the link to find out how to join: https://learning.blendedfamilybreakthrough.com/blendingtogether

Subscribe or Follow the Show 

Are you subscribed or following the podcast yet?  If not, we want to encourage you do that today so you don't miss a single episode.  

Click here to subscribe in Apple Podcasts

Click here to follow on Spotify

Leave a Review in Apple Podcasts

If you’re feeling extra helpful, we would be so grateful if you left us a review over on Apple Podcasts too. Your review will help others find our podcast — plus they’re fun for us to read too! :-)  Just click here to Review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and then select “Write a Review” — let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is.  Thank you, we really appreciate your feedback!

Resources

• Episode 240. Energize Family Bonds One Meaningful Conversation at a Time [with Ashley Noelle]
• Order your Blended Bond Deck here: blendedbond.com (be sure to use Promo code: BREAKTHROUGH20 to receive 20% off your purchase)
• Episode 136. How to Intentionally Create Positive Family Time  and Reduce Relational Tension

Suggest a Topic or Ask a Question  

Would you like us to discuss something specific or answer your question on the show?  Let us know!

We've made it easy.  Just click here:  https://www.blendedfamilybreakthrough.com/share

Ready for some extra support?

We all need some extra support along the blending journey — we're here to help.  You can connect with us for a free coaching call to see how we might help you experience more clarity, confidence and connection in your home.  Schedule your free call here:  https://www.blendedfamilybreakthrough.com/free-call

You don't need to navigate blended family life alone.  Join our supportive community where you'll connect directly with us and other couples just like you who are intentionally investing in healthy blending strategies.  Click the link to find out how to join: https://learning.blendedfamilybreakthrough.com/blendingtogether

Subscribe or Follow the Show 

Are you subscribed or following the podcast yet?  If not, we want to encourage you do that today so you don't miss a single episode.  

Click here to subscribe in Apple Podcasts

Click here to follow on Spotify

Leave a Review in Apple Podcasts

If you’re feeling extra helpful, we would be so grateful if you left us a review over on Apple Podcasts too. Your review will help others find our podcast — plus they’re fun for us to read too! :-)  Just click here to Review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and then select “Write a Review” — let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is.  Thank you, we really appreciate your feedback!

In blended family life, it’s easy for kids, parents, and stepparents to feel unsure, unseen, or disconnected as everyone adjusts to new relationships, new rhythms, and new expectations.

We know how hard it can be to want deeper connection, but not know what questions to ask or how to create the kind of safe space where honest conversations can happen.

In this episode, we talk with Ashley Noelle, the founder of Blended Bond, a conversation-based tool designed to help blended families, co-parents, and single-parent households build stronger connection through meaningful dialogue. Rooted in her own lived experience within a blended family, Ashley created Blended Bond to support families navigating complex dynamics, transitions, and emotional barriers.

With a background in co-parenting coaching and a deep understanding of modern family structures, Ashley now focuses on creating tangible resources that help families communicate, connect, and feel less alone in the process.

Together, we explore how intentional questions can help kids feel seen and heard, why “safe zone” conversations matter, and how parents and stepparents can keep showing up with patient persistence, even when kids shut down or resist.

Ashley also reminds us that every blended family is unique. You don’t have to force your family into someone else’s mold. You can build trust, strengthen bonds, and create meaningful connection one honest conversation at a time.

You'll Discover:

• Why open-ended questions can help kids feel seen, heard, and understood 
• How to keep showing up with patience when kids shut down, roll their eyes, or say “I don’t know” 
• Why “safe zone” conversations can build trust, honesty, and emotional security 
• How shared activities and fun prompts can create teamwork and help kids feel included 
• Why every blended family gets to build its own unique identity, instead of trying to fit a cookie-cutter model

Resources from this Episode:

• Order your Blended Bond Deck here: blendedbond.com
• And be sure to use Promo code: BREAKTHROUGH20 to receive 20% off your purchase
• Connect with Ashley at instagram.com/theblendedbond

Ready for some extra support?

We all need some extra support along the blending journey — we're here to help.  You can connect with us for a free coaching call to see how we might help you experience more clarity, confidence and connection in your home.  Schedule your free call here:  https://calendly.com/mikeandkimcoaching/freesession

You don't need to navigate blended family life alone.  Join our supportive community where you'll connect directly with us and other couples just like you who are intentionally investing in healthy blending strategies.  Click the link to find out how to join: https://learning.blendedfamilybreakthrough.com/blendingtogether

Subscribe or Follow the Show 

Are you subscribed or following the podcast yet?  If not, we want to encourage you do that today so you don't miss a single episode.  

Click here to subscribe in Apple Podcasts

Click here to follow on Spotify

Leave a Review in Apple Podcasts

If you’re feeling extra helpful, we would be so grateful if you left us a review over on Apple Podcasts too. Your review will help others find our podcast — plus they’re fun for us read too! :-)  Just click here to Review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and then select “Write a Review” — let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is.  Thank you, we really appreciate your feedback!

Resources

• Click here to schedule your FREE COACHING CALL
• 239.  Feeling Responsible for Everyone? How Codependency Hinders Family Relationships and How to Heal [with Michelle Farris]
• To connect with Michelle Farris, CLICK HERE 
• Episode 138. How Relational Dysfunction Plagued our Marriage and How We Finally Broke Free

Suggest a Topic or Ask a Question  

Would you like us to discuss something specific or answer your question on the show?  Let us know!

We've made it easy.  Just click here:  https://www.blendedfamilybreakthrough.com/share

Ready for some extra support?

We all need some extra support along the blending journey — we're here to help.  You can connect with us for a free coaching call to see how we might help you experience more clarity, confidence and connection in your home.  Schedule your free call here:  https://www.blendedfamilybreakthrough.com/free-call

You don't need to navigate blended family life alone.  Join our supportive community where you'll connect directly with us and other couples just like you who are intentionally investing in healthy blending strategies.  Click the link to find out how to join: https://learning.blendedfamilybreakthrough.com/blendingtogether

Subscribe or Follow the Show 

Are you subscribed or following the podcast yet?  If not, we want to encourage you do that today so you don't miss a single episode.  

Click here to subscribe in Apple Podcasts

Click here to follow on Spotify

Leave a Review in Apple Podcasts

If you’re feeling extra helpful, we would be so grateful if you left us a review over on Apple Podcasts too. Your review will help others find our podcast — plus they’re fun for us to read too! :-)  Just click here to Review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and then select “Write a Review” — let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is.  Thank you, we really appreciate your feedback!

Codependency can be tricky to recognize because it often looks like love, generosity, or “just trying to help.” But when our giving turns into fixing, rescuing, controlling, or sacrificing ourselves to earn love and approval, it can quietly create tension in our marriage, parenting, co-parenting, and stepfamily relationships.

In this episode, we’re joined by therapist Michelle Farris for a practical and hope-filled conversation about how codependency shows up in blended families and how to heal it. 

Michelle is a psychotherapist, codependency expert, and anger management specialist with a passion for helping people break free from toxic relationships. Her YouTube channel has over 3 million viewers, where she’s known for her practical tips and expertise. She’s written several ebooks and courses for creating relationships that work. 

Michelle helps us understand the difference between healthy care and over-functioning, why some parents struggle when their kids are hurting or moving between homes, and how our desire to protect or please can sometimes blur important relational boundaries.

We also talk honestly about how codependency can impact the parenting partnership in a blended family. When a bio-parent feels caught between their child and spouse, the pressure can intensify. When a stepparent feels responsible for things they don't have authority over, resentment sets in.  But there is a healthier way forward. Michelle shares how couples can take small steps toward clearer boundaries, stronger self-awareness, and more secure connection without becoming rigid, reactive, or disconnected.

If you’ve ever felt responsible for keeping everyone okay, struggled to set limits with your kids or ex, or wondered why you feel resentful after “helping,” this conversation will give you language, clarity, and hope.

You'll Discover:

• The difference between being kind and being codependent 
• How codependency can show up with your children, with an ex, or inside your marriage 
• How over-functioning, fixing, rescuing, controlling, and people-pleasing can create ongoing resentment and disable others 
• How to identify your non-negotiable boundaries without becoming rigid or reactive 
• Three key areas of codependency and how you can move toward relational health and wellness

Resources from this Episode:

• To connect with Michelle Farris, CLICK HERE 
• Michelle's free guide: 7 Steps to Healing One Sided Relationships
• Relationships That Work with Michelle Farris (YouTube)
• Episode 138. How Relational Dysfunction Plagued our Marriage and How We Finally Broke Free

Ready for some extra support?

We all need some extra support along the blending journey — we're here to help.  You can connect with us for a free coaching call to see how we might help you experience more clarity, confidence and connection in your home.  Schedule your free call here:  https://calendly.com/mikeandkimcoaching/freesession

You don't need to navigate blended family life alone.  Join our supportive community where you'll connect directly with us and other couples just like you who are intentionally investing in healthy blending strategies.  Click the link to find out how to join: https://learning.blendedfamilybreakthrough.com/blendingtogether

Subscribe or Follow the Show 

Are you subscribed or following the podcast yet?  If not, we want to encourage you do that today so you don't miss a single episode.  

Click here to subscribe in Apple Podcasts

Click here to follow on Spotify

Leave a Review in Apple Podcasts

If you’re feeling extra helpful, we would be so grateful if you left us a review over on Apple Podcasts too. Your review will help others find our podcast — plus they’re fun for us to read too! :-)  Just click here to Review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and then select “Write a Review” — let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is.  Thank you, we really appreciate your feedback!

Resources

Episode 50. How to Openly Communicate What You Really Want 

Episode 179. Conquer Fear and Embrace Your Blend with Confidence and Clarity 

Episode 98. Is fear of being vulnerable keeping you from loving your spouse wholeheartedly?

Episode 180. Break Free from Guilt and Blend with Authenticity and Security

Episode 187. Basics for Blending:  How to Tolerate and Manage Discomfort and Distress (Part 1 of 2)

Episode 237. Communication Frustration?  Gain Powerful Tools & Insight to Help Reduce Conflict & Stay Connected

Suggest a Topic or Ask a Question  

Would you like us to discuss something specific or answer your question on the show?  Let us know!

We've made it easy.  Just click here:  https://www.blendedfamilybreakthrough.com/share

Ready for some extra support?

We all need some extra support along the blending journey — we're here to help.  You can connect with us for a free coaching call to see how we might help you experience more clarity, confidence, and connection in your home.  Schedule your free call here:  https://www.blendedfamilybreakthrough.com/free-call

You don't need to navigate blended family life alone.  Join our supportive community where you'll connect directly with us and other couples just like you who are intentionally investing in healthy blending strategies.  Click the link to find out how to join: https://learning.blendedfamilybreakthrough.com/blendingtogether

Subscribe or Follow the Show 

Are you subscribed or following the podcast yet?  If not, we want to encourage you do that today so you don't miss a single episode.  

Click here to subscribe in Apple Podcasts

Click here to follow on Spotify

Leave a Review in Apple Podcasts

If you’re feeling extra helpful, we would be so grateful if you left us a review over on Apple Podcasts too. Your review will help others find our podcast — plus they’re fun for us to read too! :-)  Just click here to Review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and then select “Write a Review” — let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is.  Thank you, we really appreciate your feedback!

Co-parenting conversations can escalate fast, especially when an ex is reactive, manipulative, dismissive, or unreasonable. It’s tempting to defend yourself, fire back, or make a quick decision just to escape the pressure. But that kind of response rarely moves things forward, and it can leave kids carrying the emotional weight of adult conflict.

In this episode, we share practical tools to help you communicate with an ex in a way that is calm, clear, and solution-focused. You’ll learn our 5 A’s Framework for navigating hard co-parenting conversations, along with strategies for handling pressure, staying grounded, and setting healthy boundaries with confidence.

We also open up about a painful moment in our own blended family story, when Kim felt pressured by her ex into making a major decision before she had time to think clearly or consult with Mike. From that experience, we share what we wish we had known then, and how these tools can help you protect your marriage, create greater stability for your kids, and build more peace in your home.

Be sure to grab the free downloadable worksheet for this episode to help you plan your next hard conversation and put these tools into practice.

You’ll Discover:

• Why reactive communication with an ex often fuels ongoing conflict 
• How to use the 5 A’s Framework for clearer, more cooperative co-parenting conversations 
• Three strategies for handling pressure-filled moments with greater steadiness 
• A simple tool for setting healthy boundaries with an ex 
• How consistency can build trust, influence, and greater stability for your kids

Resources from this Episode:

• CLICK HERE to grab your free co-parenting communication worksheet
• Episode 211. 8 Warning Signs Your Ex is Manipulating Your Child's Heart and Mind
• Episode 218. How to Positively Influence You Kids' Character When Your Ex Undermines Your Values 
• Episode 207.  4 Big Myths About Parenting When an Ex Has Different Rules and How to Build Consistency  
• Episode 232. 5 Principles to Manage Contact Between Homes and Promote Your Child's Wellbeing
• Episode 229. The Heavy Burdens Kids Carry: Loyalty Binds, Parental Allegiance and How to Help
• Episode 175. 8 Tips to Protect Kids From Stress and Tension When Moving Between Homes
• Episode 161. How do Healthy Parent/Child Roles Help Avoid the Pitfalls of Parentification [ with Ron Deal & Lauren Reitsema]
• Episode 112. 3 Dangerous Dynamics That Can Destroy Co-Parenting - And Hurt the Kids
• Episode 42. Our Challenging Story of Parental Alienation - and 6 Tips For You
• Episode 91. Is Your Husband's Hostile Ex-Wife Invading Your Life, Stealing Your Joy and Confidence?
• Episode 194. Powerful Tips for Effectively Connecting with Your Angry or Distant Child [with Amy J.L. Baker]
• Episode 226. How Two Homes Raise Kids That Thrive:  A Blueprint for Caring Parents [with Jay & Tammy Daughtry]

Ready for some extra support?

We all need some extra support along the blending journey — we're here to help.  You can connect with us for a free coaching call to see how we might help you experience more clarity, confidence and connection in your home.  Schedule your free call here:  https://calendly.com/mikeandkimcoaching/freesession

If there’s one thing we’ve learned in our 25 years of marriage, parenting, and blended family life, it’s this: communication problems aren’t about bad intentions more often, they’re about lacking the right tools. 

In this episode, we share the painful, unproductive patterns we got stuck in and the communication shifts that changed everything for us, helping us strengthen our marriage and build a healthier parenting partnership.

We unpack a simple communication styles model, then share two practical frameworks that help couples handle sensitive issues with more wisdom and less reactivity.  We also share about the impact of emotional dysregulation (one of the biggest obstacles to healthy communication), and touch on four of the most common unhealthy patterns that keep couples stuck.

This episode will offer practical tools to build trust and connection, reduce conflict, and communicate more like a united team.  Even when you each have different perspectives.  

If we can do it, you can too!  Listen in and learn these pivotal tools so you can break free from unhealthy communication patterns and make a real difference in your relationship!

You'll Discover:

• How different communication styles can quietly create friction, even when both of you mean well 
• A simple framework for talking about sensitive issues, especially conversations about each other’s kids 
• How to use the FAQ approach to start hard conversations without blame or escalation 
• Why emotional dysregulation can quickly derail communication 
• How to recognize Gottman’s Four Horsemen and replace them with healthier patterns that build connection and teamwork

Resources from this Episode:

• CLICK HERE to schedule your free call and learn more about our Relate Strong coaching focused on regulating painful emotions when it matters most.
• FREE DOWNLOAD: Communication Toolkit Worksheet
• Episode 202.  How to Break Free from Painful Cycles and Enjoy Deeper Levels of Intimacy [with Ron & Nan Deal]
• Episode 203. How to Make Better Decisions and Solve Problems as a United Team
• Crucial Conversations by K. Patterson, J. Grenny, R. McMilan, A. Switzler

 Leave a Review in Apple Podcasts

If you’re feeling extra helpful, we would be so grateful if you left us a review over on Apple Podcasts too. Your review will help others find our podcast — plus they’re fun for us to read too! :-)  Just click here to Review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and then select “Write a Review” — let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is.  Thank you, we really appreciate your feedback!

Resources

• Episode 236. Does it Ever Get Easier? How to Stay Hopeful by Playing the Long Game [with Gayla Grace]
• Episode 157. 3 Seasoned Stepmoms Share How They've Survived and Thrived in Their Blended Family Journey
• Women & Blended Families: Mother's Day/Stepmother's Day  (Gayla's interview with Laura Petherbridge)
• CLICK HERE  Mother's Day Tips for Husbands

Suggest a Topic or Ask a Question  

Would you like us to discuss something specific or answer your question on the show?  Let us know!

We've made it easy.  Just click here:  https://www.blendedfamilybreakthrough.com/share

Ready for some extra support?

We all need some extra support along the blending journey — we're here to help.  You can connect with us for a free coaching call to see how we might help you experience more clarity, confidence and connection in your home.  Schedule your free call here:  https://www.blendedfamilybreakthrough.com/free-call

You don't need to navigate blended family life alone.  Join our supportive community where you'll connect directly with us and other couples just like you who are intentionally investing in healthy blending strategies.  Click the link to find out how to join: https://learning.blendedfamilybreakthrough.com/blendingtogether

Subscribe or Follow the Show 

Are you subscribed or following the podcast yet?  If not, we want to encourage you do that today so you don't miss a single episode.  

Click here to subscribe in Apple Podcasts

Click here to follow on Spotify

Leave a Review in Apple Podcasts

If you’re feeling extra helpful, we would be so grateful if you left us a review over on Apple Podcasts too. Your review will help others find our podcast — plus they’re fun for us to read too! :-)  Just click here to Review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and then select “Write a Review” — let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is.  Thank you, we really appreciate your feedback!

In this episode, we sit down with our friend Gayla Grace for a deeply encouraging conversation about what it really takes to build a strong blended family over time. Gayla candidly shares about the challenges she and her husband faced while blending "hers", "his", and "ours". From parenting conflict to grief and unexpected setbacks, Gayla shares how those hard seasons pushed them to seek help, grow in humility, and fight for unity in their marriage.

Gayla is an author and international speaker with the FamilyLife Blended® team, where she encourages and equips blended families. She has a master’s degree in Psychology and Counseling, and she hosts the livestream Women & Blended Families.

Throughout our conversation, we explore three powerful truths that every blended couple needs to hear: expect challenges, expect the process to take longer than you want, and commit to playing the long game. Gayla offers practical wisdom, hopeful mindset shifts, and a refreshing reminder that your efforts matter, even when you don't see immediate results.  

Listen in and be encouraged as our guest Gayla Grace shares from more than 30 years of personal experience, and reminds us that blended family life is rarely easy or quick, but it can absolutely be worth it. 

You'll Discover:

• Why blended family couples need to expect challenges and meet them with both grit and grace 
• Why playing the long game can lead to deep rewards in your marriage and step relationships 
• How community and the right kind of support can help you move forward when you feel stuck 
• Why making your marriage the foundation of your home creates greater stability for the whole family

Resources from this Episode:

• Beautifully Blended: 101 Devotions to Encourage Couples in Blended Families by Gayla Grace
• CLICK HERE to connect with Gayla
• Women & Blended Families: Mother's Day/Stepmother's Day

Ready for some extra support: 

We all need some extra support along the blending journey — we're here to help.  You can connect with us for a free coaching call to see how we might help you experience more clarity, confidence and connection in your home.  Schedule your free call here:  https://calendly.com/mikeandkimcoaching/freesession

You don't need to navigate blended family life alone.  Join our supportive community where you'll connect directly with us and other couples just like you who are intentionally investing in healthy blending strategies.  Click the link to find out how to join: https://learning.blendedfamilybreakthrough.com/blendingtogether

Subscribe or Follow the Show 

Are you subscribed or following the podcast yet?  If not, we want to encourage you do that today so you don't miss a single episode.  

Click here to subscribe in Apple Podcasts

Click here to follow on Spotify

Leave a Review in Apple Podcasts

Give a review over on Apple Podcasts .  Just click here to Review, select “Ratings and Reviews” .  Thank you, we really appreciate your feedback!