At the age of 23 Donna married the love of her life who came complete with six children under the age of ten. When she looked for a stepfamily book with a Latter-day Saint focus to prepare for her upcoming marriage, she found nothing. Twenty years later, with a happy marriage and stepfamily expertise in hand, she offers you the book she wishes she'd had when she first entered her stepfamily.
Do you need help navigating the complexities of stepfamily living but aren't sure where to begin? Search no more!
Donna weaves her personal story as a stepmom of six children and biological mom of three with the voices of others such as expert stepfamily researchers, marriage and stepfamily therapists, and advice and guidance from Latter-day prophets, apostles, as well as scriptures on relevant topics. She also conducted dozens of interviews with every day people living in blended families to validate the findings from her studies.
No matter if you are dating, engaged, married with children from a previous marriage(s), a golden couple with adult kids or seek to offer support for anyone entering a blended family, this book is for you! This book provides leading expert advice for:
- Key relationship skills to help you build and maintain healthy, positive bonds within your 'blended' family
- Advance warning and tools for primary stepfamily challenges and accompanying answers, ideas, tips, and support
- Transitioning kids between homes
- Ideas to support and strengthen children
- Ways to build and sustain a good working relationship with the co-parent
- Long-distant parenting supports
- Discover ways extended family can support your 'blended' family
- Access to clinically proven stepfamily practices
- Gospel-centered ideas for creating a healthy, positive home environment
- Guidance for Remarriage in the Golden Years
- Ways to fully access the Savior's strengthening and sustaining power
This book is a beautiful mix of sound advice from stepfamily experts and teachings from the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. A Practical Guide for Latter-day Saint Stepfamilies can also assist family and marriage counselors, mentors and bishops wanting to offer support for complicated stepfamily structure / situations. Includes reflection questions for individual or group study.