The Nacho Kids Podcast: Blended Family Lifesaver

In this episode, Lori and David Sims, founders of Nacho Kids Nacho Parenting, talk to Jeanette Soltys a divorce and custody attorney, and also a stepmom! The hardest part of her blend is dealing with what the kids say to their other bio parent and assumptions being made about their home. She works to help couples have a more amicable and less costly divorce and custody agreement.

In this episode, we discuss the following:

• Being a stepmom and a Divorce and custody attorney

• Co-parenting relationships

• Differences in parenting

• Family court systems shortcomings

• Needing your own space as a stepparent

• Joint family rules for the blend

Nacho Kids Academy Nacho Parenting Success Story:

"As a relationship therapist, I had to check out this Nacho thing my clients kept mentioning. I read the stuff online on the website and the Facebook pages and the Facebook group. I decided to be fair about my assessment, so I joined the Academy. I can't tell you how much I learned in the Academy! As a relationship therapist I don't know everything and appreciate this resource for me to help my clients." ~ G.W.

In this episode, Lori and David Sims, founders of Nacho Kids Nacho Parenting, interview Kari Kling. Kari grew up in blended families and shares her story about the differences she experienced in her blends.

In this episode, we discuss the following:

• Having divorced parents when it wasn't the norm

• Learning to have a stable committed relationship after having divorced parents

• Not all blends are the same for the stepkid

• It's not always fair between bio and stepkids

• Stepkids feel they have no say

Nacho Kids Academy Nacho Parenting Success Story:

"I was miserable and thinking of leaving my wife. I was tired of fighting about the kids. We found the Nacho Method and joined the Academy three months ago, and our lives are so much better! Thank you Nacho!" ~ R.M.

*** DISCLAIMER: Mention of sexual abuse

In this episode, Lori Sims, founder of Nacho Kids Nacho Parenting, interviews stepmom Terra. Terra has been blending for 10 years, has two stepkids and no biological kids. Although she considers her stepkids her kids, she still uses the Nacho Kids method. Stepparenting isn't easy, as we know, and Terra also had to fight breast cancer!

In this episode, we discuss the following:

• Dealing with a bi-polar bio mom

• Having breast cancer while blending

• Importance of having your own space

• Considering the stepkids your own

• Stepkids calling you mom

Nacho Kids Academy Nacho Parenting Success Story:

"I was suicidal when I came across the Nacho Kids stuff. I am not kidding when I tell you it saved my life." ~ C.H

In this episode, Lori Sims, founder of Nacho Kids Nacho Parenting, talks with Alison O'Mahony of Be Step Wise about expectations. We have expectations every day from almost everyone we encounter. Why do we have these expectations? What expectations should we have in the blend? Are these expectations realistic?

In this episode, we discuss the following:

• Feeling different towards kids

• Can't love people on demand

• Expectations = Disappointment

Nacho Kids Academy Nacho Parenting Success Story:

"My life will forever be better because of Lori and David's Nacho Academy!" ~ T.P.

In this episode, Lori Sims, founder of Nacho Kids Nacho Parenting, interviews a stepmom from Pennsylvania. This stepmom has been blending for five years, has four bio kids ages nineteen to thirty, and has four stepkids ages twelve to twenty three. Her kids' bio dad is not in the picture, and her stepkids' bio mom is two-faced.

In this episode, we discuss the following:

• Being ignored by the stepkid

• Coming to terms you'll always be an outsider as the stepmom

• Parental Alienation

• Expectations

• Boundaries

Nacho Kids Academy Nacho Parenting Success Story:

"When a licensed therapist with 30+ years experience refers you to the Nacho Academy, it just goes to show you how good this Nacho thing is! It's a game changer!" ~ J.F.

In this episode, Lori Sims, founder of Nacho Kids Nacho Parenting, interviews Jason Kreidman with Dad University. Jason struggled with the transition from being single to a married dad with kids. He found himself overwhelmed and stressed out with the increase in responsibilities and demands. He was taking his stress out on his young children and recognized that he needed to change the way he was doing things in order to be a successful father.

In this episode, we discuss the following:

• Being a recovering yeller

• Taking responsibility for self

• Empathy

• Parenting out of guilt

• Expectations

Nacho Kids Academy Nacho Parenting Success Story:

"My attorney recommended the Nacho Academy to me. It completely changed how I interacted with my ex and saved me a ton of money in attorney's fees! Thank you Nacho creators!" ~ R. M.

In this episode, Lori Sims, founder of Nacho Kids Nacho Parenting, interviews Dr. Tracy Dalgleish.

In this episode, we discuss the following:

• Boundaries

• Negative relationship cycles

• Expectations vs reality

• Wise mind vs reactive mind

• 4 C's - Curiosity, Compassion, Connection, and Collaboration

Nacho Kids Academy Nacho Parenting Success Story:

"The Nacho Kids Academy changed my life! " ~ E.P.

In this episode, Lori Sims, founder of Nacho Kids Nacho Parenting, talks to stepmom Kim. Kim has been blending for nine years, has two bio kids, three stepkids, and one ours kid. The stepkids are with her and her husband full-time. The first few years of the blend, the kids got along great! Things got difficult. Kim's bio daughter clashed with Kim's husband. Things got so bad, her daughter decided to go live with her bio dad.

In this episode, we discuss the following:

• Having the stepkids full-time
• When your bio kid and partner clash
• Playing tit for tat
• When your bio kid decides to live with their other parent
• What her parents said versus what she heard

Nacho Kids Academy Nacho Parenting Success Story:

"When I became part of the Nacho Academy, it wasn't out by choice. My wife would play the courses aloud so I couldn't help but hear them. I tell you what, I've never heard anyone in my life make more sense about why stepfamilies struggle so much. I started looking forward to hearing the courses. One day, it t clicked with me and my wife why we were struggling so much! We hadn't grieved our "nuclear dreams" as Lori calls them. With guidance from Lori & Dave, we grieved those nuclear dreams and set realistic blended family dreams, which are none. Lori always says, you need to let go of those blended family expectations, they are only causing you disappointment. We can't recommend the Academy enough! It really is life changing!" ~ B.C.

DISCLAIMER: Mention of abuse and suicide in this episode.

In this episode, Lori Sims, founder of Nacho Kids Nacho Parenting, welcomes a previous stepmom back to share her story of being a stepkid versus being a stepmom. Stepmom had a lot of resentment towards her dad for not being a part of her life. She would visit her dad in the summer, until she chose to go live with him and her stepmom. She expected her blend as a stepmom to be like the blend she grew up in. And it was not.

In this episode, we discuss the following:

• Being a stepkid

• Seeing bio dad in summer to living with bio dad

• Blended expectations

• Stepmom given the parental authority

• The power of words

Nacho Kids Academy Nacho Parenting Success Story:

"Being a therapist, I thought I would know how to "blend" and make our family be like a nuclear family. I had no clue! I joined the Nacho Kids Academy and was able to get the help I truly needed. There is no shame in therapists needing help too!" ~ A.B.

In this episode, Lori Sims, founder of Nacho Kids Nacho Parenting, talks to a stepmom who has been blending for ten years, has three stepkids, three bio kids, and one ours kid. She did not go in expecting to be the stepkids mom. Nor did she expect bio mom would be a stalker! The preacher at the church they all attended even told Bio Mom she couldn't sit behind her ex, stepmom, and the kids. Like many stepmoms, she wishes she would have found Nacho Kids Nacho Parenting sooner.

In this episode, we discuss the following:

• Importance of incorporating similar rules in homes prior to blending

• Putting your own kids on the back burner

• Bio mom leaves

• Bio mom returns

• About to split up because of the kids

Nacho Kids Academy Nacho Parenting Success Story:

"My life sucked. Blending sucked. I was miserable. A guy at work told me about this Nacho thing. I joined their school because the Facebook group was not teaching me anything. Within two weeks, I was singing the Nacho praises. If you are on the fence, do it! My life doesn't suck anymore." K.B.