The Nacho Kids Podcast: Blended Family Lifesaver

In this episode of the Nacho Kids Podcast, Lori and David, founders of Nacho Kids, interview stepmom Kayla! Kayla, a childless stepmom, has been blending for 14 months and has three teenage stepdaughters! Being a high-school teacher, Kayla thought "she knew what she was getting into"! Considering she was around teenagers all day, she'd have no issues being a stepmom to three teenage girls fairly easily. Let's just say, she was proven wrong. Being a full-time stepmom has been a bit of a challenge. Kayla recently decided to get help with her blend and join the Nacho Kids Academy! She's already seeing positive changes in her blend in a short time.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Knowing what you are getting into
• Being a full-time childless stepmom
• Nacho finally "clicking"
• Identifying triggers/stressors
• Setting boundaries
• Feeling guilty about Nachoing

In this episode of the Nacho Kids Podcast, Lori, co-founder of Nacho Kids, interviews stepmom Hannah! Hannah and her husband have been blending for six years and live in Dubai. Her stepson and stepdaughter live in Australia. Until recently, they would get the stepkids for two weeks every quarter and a month at Christmas. Due to the stress of her blend, Hannah sought help. She got a therapist, joined the Nacho Kids Academy, learned to Nacho and it has changed her life!

In this episode, we discuss:

• Being an overinvolved stepmom
• Thoughts of giving up
• Nachoing and it's benefits
• The importance of boundaries
• How to handle bio mom's lies
• Parential Alienation

In this episode of the Nacho Kids Podcast, Lori, co-founder of Nacho Kids, interviews Heidi Farrell, founder of Not Just A Stepmom. Heidi has been blending 10 years. She has two stepkids and three "ours" kids. Not long after they married, her husband got full custody of his kids, making Heidi a full-time stepmom. Heidi shares a funny story about them telling her stepkids that she was pregnant. And how they messed this up two out of the three times!

In this episode, we discuss:

• Being a full-time stepmom
• Telling the stepkids you are pregnant
• Not seeing disrespect the same way
• Importance of setting boundaries
• Nachoing the things that cause you stress

In this episode of the Nacho Kids Podcast, Lori and David, founders of Nacho Kids, interview stepmom Diane. Diane is a people pleaser and struggles with setting boundaries. Like this stepmom, oftentimes people feel as if they are being a bad person, rude, mean, or disrespectful, and then they feel guilty for setting boundaries. However, Diane was forced to set boundaries with her oldest of four stepdaughters due to the stepdaughter's behavior. It's still not easy and Diane struggles with guilt for setting the boundaries.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Dealing with the bio mom because your significant other doesn't want to
• Being a people pleaser and struggling with boundaries
• Dealing with a stepkid that lies, steals, and manipulates
• Issues from not having a set schedule with the stepkids
• Having healthy boundaries

In this episode of the Nacho Kids Podcast, Lori and David, founders of Nacho Kids, interview Craig and Gina Morgan. Craig and Gina are the founders of Blended Together Forever ~ Making The Family Whole Again. They have been blending for 24 years! Craig entered the blend with one son and one daughter, while Gina came into the blend with four boys, and they have one son together. Their blend was not easy, but they made it! They are sharing their story with other blended families in hopes to help their blends stay blended together forever!

In this episode, we discuss:

• When the bio kids want to live with the other parent
• Developmental grief
• Blended challenges don't end when the kids turn 18
• Healthy expectations
• Just letting things happen

In this episode of the Nacho Kids Podcast, Lori and David, founders of Nacho Kids, interview stepmom Noel. Noel has been blending for three years. She has three bio children and four stepchildren. Noel, like many stepmoms, came in and stepped into the "Mom" role. Also like many stepmoms, she was struggling hard in the blend and had a mental breakdown. She had given up hope. She signed up for the Nacho Kids Academy as a last-ditch effort to save their marriage and you won't believe what happened!

In this episode, we discuss:

• Unrealistic expectations
• Struggling to stand up for your bio kids
• Realizing it's not a stepkid problem, but a bio parent problem
• Guilty Parent Syndrome
• What joining the Nacho Kids Academy did for their marriage/blend

In this episode of the Nacho Kids Podcast, Lori and David, founders of Nacho Kids, interview Dorcy Pruter, founder of Conscious Co-parenting Institute. Dorcy experienced parental alienation firsthand with her own father being alienated from her and by seeing her husband being alienated by his kids. Her personal experience and training have allowed her to help others who are suffering from parental alienation. Through reunification coaching and co-parenting education, Dorcy provides strategies and solutions for parents and children to reconnect, or stay connected, during and after a high-conflict divorce. The primary focus of Dorcy's work at the Conscious Co-Parenting Institute is high-conflict custody disputes involving "Parental Alienation." Her goal is to help establish custody plans and co-parenting roles that encourage positive relationships between children and BOTH parents.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Parental Alienation
• Triggered emotions
• Bio parent telling the kid lies about the other bio parent
• Stepparent and control
• No Response Needed

In this episode of the Nacho Kids Podcast, Lori and David, founders of Nacho Kids, interview stepmom Michelle. Michelle and her husband have been blending for five years. Michelle has three biological daughters and her husband has three biological sons and one biological daughter. Her bio kids and her stepkids attend the same school, which adds some unique challenges. Michelle and her husband were on the verge of divorce and met with a counselor. The counselor's lack of blended family knowledge resulted in them not getting the help they needed. They went through several counselors before Michelle joined the Nacho Kids Academy. Through her work in the Academy, she has made great progress!

In this episode, we discuss:

• Dealing with a high conflict bio dad
• Finding the right help for your blend
• Brady Bunch dreams
• Comparing your home to the other home
• Vacations with the stepkids and bio kids
• The Nacho Kids Academy

In this episode of the Nacho Kids Podcast, Lori, co-founder of Nacho Kids, interviews stepmom Courtney, who listened to the Nacho Kids podcast and was offended! Courtney, a stepkid herself, has been blending three years and has four stepkids, with two different bio moms. One of the bio moms has really put Courtney and her husband through the wringer and they didn't have any recourse because of the court order's wording.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Dealing with a high conflict bio parent
• Court orders and grey areas
• When the other bio parent is single
• When the bio parent works out of town a lot
• A stepkid being born after the blend starts

In this episode of the Nacho Kids Podcast, Lori, co-founder of Nacho Kids, interviews stepmom Peggy. Peggy is in her second blend. Yep, she decided to do it again! She has two stepkids in her current blend and two bio kids. Peggy has experienced some unique challenges in her blend related to parental alienation with the stepkids and also the death of her bio kids' father last year. Through her challenges, Peggy has learned so much and learned what does and doesn't work for her blend.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Differences in blends
• Stepkids interacting with bio kids
• Guilty Parent Syndrome
• Meeting the "King of Nerds" and dealing with his "Joker" ex-wife
• Leaving discipline to the bio parent