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www.blendedfamilypodcast.com

This episode I talk about some of my own recent struggles, and what I’ve learned from them. Plus I answer some listener questions.

• What to do when two parents have completely different parenting styles

• How to help children who have been taken from their mom

• What to do when you don’t like the choices the other parent is making for your kids in their home

And a giveaway!

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Send mail to Melissa Brown

                    5445 Murrell Rd

                    Unit 102 #178

                    Viera FL 32955

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Katie Brewer started Your Richest Life because she believes that every professional should have access to a financial planner. Katie helps clients alleviate their stress about money by helping them clarify their goals, identify and eliminate obstacles to those goals, and create a financial action plan to achieve them.  Katie has accumulated over 10 years of experience working with clients and their money. She is no stranger to hard work as she pursued both her CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Certification and her MBA while working full time.

Katie has been quoted in articles in The New York Times, Forbes, Money, Lifehacker, and Real Simple and she regularly blogs about financial planning topics. She often speaks to groups about financial education.

In this episode, she joins me to talk about estate planning, which is a sensitive and challenging topic for blended families. We talk about

• What is estate planning
• 9 things to keep in mind when planning an estate
• What makes blended family estate planning different
• Setting up a guardian
• What can go wrong when an estate is not planned
• When is the right time to plan an estate
• Who can set up an estate
• Listener question
• And much more

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Send mail to Melissa Brown

                    5445 Murrell Rd

                    Unit 102 #178

                    Viera FL 32955

[email protected]

www.blendedfamilypodcast.com

Being a stepparent certainly comes with challenges, but it does have its plus sides too. In this episode I will share what those are so that you can shift your perspective.

1. You get to be the fun one
2. You do not have to be the disciplinarian
3. You are looked at differently than mom or dad
4. You get to develop your own special relationship
5. You can be influential in their life
6. You get to help a family
7. You get to walk away or get a break
8. You bring new perspectives in the mix
9. You are listened to in a different way
10. You can learn a lot about yourself from being a stepparent

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Send mail to Melissa Brown

                    5445 Murrell Rd

                    Unit 102 #178

                    Viera FL 32955

[email protected]

www.blendedfamilypodcast.com

Living in the shadows of an ex or a deceased partner can be really difficult to navigate. Both situations have similarities, but both need to be handled in different ways. We will talk about photos, memories, family and friends, and children in this episode. Plus I’ll share three emails from listeners about this topic.

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                    5445 Murrell Rd

                    Unit 102 #178

                    Viera FL 32955

[email protected]

www.blendedfamilypodcast.com

Raising teenagers can be extremely challenging and frustrating. As parents, we can get caught up in the negativity of it all, and we can forget to enjoy the journey. Hopefully this show can help to shift your perspective a bit, so that you can see the joys in between the madness!

Listen to my interview on the Couple Money Podcast here

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                    5445 Murrell Rd

                    Unit 102 #178

                    Viera FL 32955

[email protected]

www.blendedfamilypodcast.com

Anxiety is something that many people suffer from nowadays, especially in a blended family. Even children are more prone to anxiety now than ever before.

My guest, Stephanie’s Dalfonzo’s first career was as Stevie Knox,” one of South Florida’s most popular radio DJs during the 80s and early 90s. Shifting careers as she raised her children, she delved into the Healing Arts. Over 20 years later, Stephanie is now a Speaker, Spiritual Healer and Coach, Yoga Teacher and Certified Hypnotist (among other things). Sharing inspirational empowerment with simple action steps. Stephanie empowers women to move from anxiety, fear, stress and despair to freedom, peace of mind and joy in their lives. She has freed thousands of people, from  ages 8 to 82, from their fears, stress and anxiety.

In this interview, we talk about

• Her personal story
• What anxiety actually is and what it feels like
• Why anxiety seems to be more prevalent these days
• Medication and anxiety
• Children and anxiety
• And much more

Connect with Stephanie

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Facebook

Free download of quick and easy coping skills for stress, anxiety and fear

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Send mail to Melissa Brown

                    5445 Murrell Rd

                    Unit 102 #178

                    Viera FL 32955

[email protected]

www.blendedfamilypodcast.com

Happy Father's Day! My own husband and favorite dad, Shawn,  joins me this week to talk about his own parenting journey this year, which has been especially challenging. We talk about

• What life was like before he had custody of his son
• Emotions he experienced when he gained custody
• Some of the challenges he faced this year
• Guilt he has experienced
• Some positives that happened this year
• His advice on why it's important to be open with the kids
• Aspirations for the coming year
• Advice to other dads
• And much more

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Send mail to Melissa Brown

                    5445 Murrell Rd

                    Unit 102 #178

                    Viera FL 32955

[email protected]

www.blendedfamilypodcast.com

Stepparents who have no bio children of their own are commonly called childless stepparents. They deal with issues and emotions that are unique from bio parents and stepparents who are bio parents as well. In this episode, I will discuss those issues, which are

• Feeling unimportant
• Feeling like you take a backseat
• Feeling unqualified or being told that you are
• Feeling like you're missing out on time and experiences
• Feeling worried about having a child of your own
• Feelings of jealousy
• Feeling like an outsider
• Feeling like you’re not respected
• Feelings of anger and resentment

Also I will discuss some ways to help overcome the above issues, which are

• Acknowledge and accept your feelings
• Involve yourself
• Bond with the child
• Be yourself
• Communicate your needs and feelings
• Practice self care
• Have date nights and alone time
• Separate your feelings for the child from bio parent
• Don't take it personal

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Send mail to Melissa Brown

                    5445 Murrell Rd

                    Unit 102 #178

                    Viera FL 32955

[email protected]

www.blendedfamilypodcast.com

Deciding whether to live together or apart is a big decision for a blended family. Some blended families need to try it both ways to decide which works best for them. In this episode I outline ten things to consider when making this important decision. Plus I’ll list some pros and cons of both.

1. The length of your relationship
2. The quality of your relationship
3. The ages of your kids
4. The relationship between the stepkids
5. How well do you and your partner co parent
6. How do the kids feel about the situation
7. What is your value on a stress free and peaceful life
8. What is the difference in expenses from one home to two
9. Shared care of living together opposed to caring for children alone
10. What is your ideal family vision

Read this article from the Huffington Post!

This Blended Family Doesn’t Live Together And They’re Happier For It

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Send mail to Melissa Brown

                    5445 Murrell Rd

                    Unit 102 #178

                    Viera FL 32955

[email protected]

www.blendedfamilypodcast.com

Amy Baker has a PhD from teachers college of Columbia University. She has 25 years conducting research on parent-child relationships and child maltreatment. She is an author or co-author of 8 books and over 100 articles. She is a nationally recognized expert in parental alienation. She has trained legal and mental health professionals around the country and served as an expert in courtrooms in the US and Canada. She also provides telephone coaching to help targeted parents enhance their relationship with their alienated children.

In this interview we discuss

• Her personal story
• How to prevent parental alienation
• Loyalty conflict
• Methods to cope with parental alienation
• And much more

Connect with Amy

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Buy the book

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Send questions or feedback to [email protected]

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Visit the website at www.blendedfamilypodcast.com

Sign up for my monthly newsletter

Schedule an interview or coaching session here

Send mail to Melissa Brown

                    5445 Murrell Rd

                    Unit 102 #178

                    Viera FL 32955