Blended Family Breakthrough

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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

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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.  

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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!

You want this season to feel special for your blended family. But instead of joy, you’re feeling grumpy, anxious, or even a little hopeless. Schedule changes, empty chairs at the table, tension with an ex, and slow bonding in step-relationships can make gratitude feel out of reach. Deep down you might be wondering, “How am I supposed to be thankful when life really hurts?”

In this episode, we'll sit with you in that question. And we'll introduce three simple “gratitude lenses” that will help you focus on what’s good without denying what’s hard. 

Through honest stories from our personal journey, including Kim’s long season of walking with Annika through addiction and into recovery, you’ll see how gratitude can keep you anchored so that you can show up well as you face tough realities.   

You’ll also learn how to hold grief and gratitude at the same time while guarding against three common negativity traps that quietly drain hope and resilience. By the end, you’ll have one small, clear next step to begin practicing gratitude in real life, right where you are, in this season and beyond.

You'll Discover:

• Three gratitude lenses tailored for real life, you can start using today
• Simple gratitude habits that can make a positive difference 
• How to hold grief and gratitude simultaneously - without having to pretend
• The 3 “P” traps that crush resilience—and how you can resist them

Resources from this Episode:

• Episode 42. Our Challenging Story of Parental Alienation - And 6 Tips for You
• Episode 84. Coping with Sadness, Anxiety, and Longing when the Kids are Gone
• Episode 154. What practical and Emotional Shifts Can You Expect as You Blend a Family? 
• Episode 14. 3 Helpful Steps to Overcome Your 'Perfectionist' Ideals and Disappointments 
• Episode 202. How to Break Free From Painful Cycles and Enjoy Deeper Levels of Intimacy [with Ron and Nan Deal] 
• Episode 189.  Bringing Hope to the Realities of Grief:  A Path to Understanding and Healing [with Krista St-Germain]
• Episode 187.  Basics for Blending:  How to Tolerate and Manage Discomfort and Distress (Part 1 of 2)
• Episode 51. Overcoming Discouragement (Part 1 of  3)
• Episode 99. Moving Beyond Painful Guilt and Regret
• Episode 160. A 4-Part Framework for Achievable Expectations and How to Live Them Out
• Episode 220. From Marginalized to Mainstream:  How to Reclaim Confidence 
• Episode 215. Does your Relationship Feel Hopeless?  Why Giving Up Might Not be the Answer?

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

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

Subscribe or Follow the Show 

Are you subscribed or following the podcast yet?  If not, we want to encourage you to 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!

The holidays can turn magical… 

…or messy!  This is especially true when two households, multiple calendars, and big expectations collide. 

You want peace, memories, and connection; the problem is last-minute schedule changes, mixed emotions, and the pressure to please everyone. 

We’ve been there. In this conversation, we'll offer practical guidance with a simple plan: five respectful negotiation tips for working with the other home and a kid-centered framework to navigate disappointment when plans don’t line up. 

This year, choose to take a proactive approach so that you can lower tension, avoid drama, and model resilience. The stakes are high. Painful interactions, confusion, guilt, and your kid's sense of stability are all on the line. 

What does success look like? A calmer season where your family can experience peace and memorable moments, even when things aren't “perfect". 

You'll Discover:

• Five negotiation tips for co-parenting that lead to better opportunities for healthy cooperation.
• Why predictability matters for kids moving between homes, and how early, respectful communication increases collaboration and peace. 
• How to prevent heartbreak by finalizing plans with the other home before sharing exciting news with children. 
• The "Five A's" framework for helping kids manage disappointment
• A mindset reframe: missed activities and events aren’t failed parenting, they’re an opportunity to build emotional resilience and solid character. 

Resources from this Episode:

• Episode 67. The Best Co-Parenting Strategy That You Already Know
• Episode 222.  Step-by-Step Guide:  Facing Painful Pushback Without Making Things Worse (Part 1 of 2)
• Episode 33.  How to Cope with a Difficult Ex and Protect Your Ex
• Episode 112.  3 Dangerous Dynamics That Can Destroy Co-Parenting - And Hurt The Kids
• Episode 113.  How to Respond When Being Disregarded, Devalued or Dismissed by Your Former Spouse
• Episode 188. Basics for Blending:  How to Tolerate and Manage Discomfort and Distress (Part 2 of 2)

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

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!

You’re the parent, or stepparent, who wants less conflict and more connection. But a child’s resistance, sarcasm, isolation, or hurtful words, such as: “you’re not my dad,” can derail plans and result in hurtful interactions. 

We’ve been there.

In part 2 of this mini-series, you'll discover how to respond well in tough moments of pushback by using John Gottman’s 5 steps of Emotion Coaching. You’ll hear us role-play around real-life pushback when a child is competing for a parent's love, making accusations and threats, and behaving oppositionally toward a stepparent.

We'll offer a better way to manage those moments with words that help kids feel seen, heard, and understood.  We'll also show you the best approach for addressing poor behavior and setting boundaries. 

The plan is simple: notice the emotion, treat it as an opportunity, listen and validate, help label feelings, then set limits while exploring solutions. Practice this, and you’ll be surprised at how you can lower the tension, build relational safety, and strengthen your connection with a struggling child. 

When pushback hits, it is possible to move away from reacting in ways that don't help and instead, create an atmosphere of mutual trust, respect,  and real connection in your home.

You'll Discover:

• The 5 Emotion Coaching steps from John Gottman (with wording you can steal) and why each step matters. 
• How to decode what’s going on underneath pushback and respond in a way that helps your child move through pain, loss, anger, sadness, and confusion. 
• When and how to set behavioral boundaries so that kids are more open to receiving and responding well. 
• A simple script for stepparents to defuse “You’re not my dad/mom” moments while building mutual respect and understanding. 
• When and how to engage in problem-solving with your child and foster real buy-in, confidence, and trust.

Resources from this Episode:

• Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child by Dr. John Gottman
• Episode 222. Step-by-Step Guide: Facing Painful Pushback Without Making Things Worse [Part 1]
• Episode 194.  Powerful Tips for Effectively Connecting with Your Angry or Distant Child [with Dr. Amy J.L. Baker]
• Episode 195.  Connecting with Kim's HARD Child - Facing the Challenges of Parental Alienation
• Episode 210.  Is Your Child Pulling Away?  Here's How to Respond with Wisdom and Love
• Episode 211. 8 Warning Signs Your Ex is Manipulating Your Child's Heart and Mind
• Episode 92.  At a loss and feeling defeated because the kids stubbornly refuse to blend?
• Episode 132. How do loss and grief impact blended family integration?
• Episode 189. Bringing Hope to the Realities of Grief:  A Path to Understanding and Healing [with Krista St-Germain]

Ready for some extra support?   Schedule your free coaching call here:  https://calendly.com/mikeandkimcoaching/freesession

We know that pushback moments can sting. Eye rolls, refusals, accusations, or shutting down are all things kids in blended families can tend to do. It’s easy for parents and stepparents to appease, minimize, deflect, control, try to 'fix-it' or simply avoid pushback (we’ve done it too). 

In this two-part series, we act as your guides and name the real struggle beneath kids' hurtful behavior: loss, grief, and fear that come with blending. Then we introduce a clear plan: Emotion Coaching. 

You’ll hear real-life scenarios, why common reactions backfire, and what to do instead to help your child feel seen and supported. The win? A calmer home,  stronger bonds, and practical steps forward. 

The risk of doing nothing? Escalating conflict, shutdown, resentment, and power struggles. If you’re ready to respond to your child's pushback with calm, clarity, and care, this conversation is for you.

You'll Discover:

• The four common Pushback Predicaments: competing for love, accusations/threats, oppositional attitude, and loss & grief. And what’s really going on underneath. 
• Why appeasing, minimizing, deflecting, defending, controlling, or avoiding often makes things worse, and what kids hear when we react in those ways. 
• How Emotion Coaching helps kids identify and name big feelings, regulate their emotions, and become receptive to changing their behavior.  Plus, the blended-family benefits (safety, trust, and respect). 
• A simple reflection challenge to build awareness around your typical reaction patterns and your child’s reactions to your reactions, so that you can choose a better way to respond next time. 

Continued Learning on this Topic:

• Episode 154. What practical and emotional shifts can you expect as you blend your family?
• Episode 213. Discover How to Better Understand and Connect with Children of Divorce [with Lauren Reitsema]
• Episode 159.  How to Stay Hopeful as a Stepparent When You're Continually Rejected and Hurt
• Episode 37. Why do kids struggle to accept their stepparent?
• Episode 039. How to Create Strong Bonds with Resistant Stepkids

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

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

Episode 221.

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

Subscribe or Follow the Show 

Are you subscribed or following the podcast yet?  If not, we want to encourage you to 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!

Blended family couples often carry unprocessed pain and can slip into patterns of “autopilot", which fuels disconnection and discouragement.

Chad and Jdele Brignac know this firsthand. After merging their families, they hoped for “Brady Bunch” magic. Instead, they spent 17 years in deep grief and survival mode as unexamined patterns collided.

In this episode, we draw out their hard-won wisdom, which they share in their book Blend Don’t Break. After two decades of marriage, a turning point came when Chad realized and owned past mistakes, moved away from reactivity, and created space for their now-adult kids to be heard and known.

Their story shows that it’s never too late. With humility, curiosity, and lived values, any couple can restart healing, rebuild safety, and reshape their family legacy. No matter where they are in their blended journey.

Chad and Jdele are speakers and authors. Chad equips men to lead with self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and compassion. Jdele guides families toward healing and lasting connection. Together, they help blended families thrive, not just survive.

You’ll Discover

• Why grief and survival mode can mask deeper issues and how owning your part can reopen connection even years later. 
• What “learned behaviors” look like in real life and how to move from overreacting to responding. 
• How to replace vague ideals with actionable family values that everyone understands and can live out. 
• The value of flexibility and trust, and how to increase family connection. 
• The “unpack before you pack” idea and how to practically focus on what to hold onto, clean up, or leave behind from your past. 

Resources

• Blend Don't Break by Chad and Jdele Brignac
• CLICK HERE to connect with Chad
• CLICK HERE to connect with Jdele

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

Subscribe or Follow the Show 

Are you subscribed or following the podcast yet?  If not, we want to encourage you to 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!

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

Subscribe or Follow the Show 

Are you subscribed or following the podcast yet?  If not, we want to encourage you to 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!

Have you ever experienced an awkward "stepfamily moment" in public?  Like when someone notices that you and your child have different last names or makes assumptions about your family dynamics?  We've experienced plenty of those moments in our blended family journey, and it doesn't feel very good. 

In today’s conversation, we address the experience of feeling “marginalized” or "less than".  And we'll share what we've done to stand in our true identity and invite others into genuine connection, rather than avoiding the awkwardness.

It's liberating to simply normalize the reality that blended families are everywhere, and we embrace three mindset shifts that make a real difference: 

• Be confident and secure about how your family came together 
• Be authentic by offering a simple, positive message that honors your story 
• Avoid comparison traps 

Our hope is that you’ll feel seen, supported, and empowered to carry your story with courage and to know that you aren't alone.

You’ll Discover

• What feeling “marginalized” looks like in everyday moments, and why blended families are part of the cultural mainstream
• A simple, unapologetic way to respond to awkward situations without shaming yourself or your kids
• Four tools to escape comparison traps and stay confident and secure

Resources from this Episode:

• CLICK HERE to check out the Blending Together Community
• Episode 11. 3 Hidden Strengths for Imperfect Blended Families
• Episode 156. The 3 Super Strengths of a Blended Family Marriage 
• Episode 114. Beware of Common Comparison Traps that Create Disconnection and Negativity 
• Episode 160. A 4-Part Framework for Achievable Expectations and How to Live Them Out
• Episode 14. 3 Helpful Steps to Overcome Your "Perfectionistic" Ideals and Disappointments 
• Episode 180. Break Free From Guilt and Blend with Authenticity and Security 

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

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!