MP 098: How Do We Make Our Marriage Work As A Blended Family?

I’ve invited my friend Ron Deal to tackle this question with us. Ron is a licensed marriage and family therapist and is one of the most widely read experts on blended families in the country. He’s the founder of Smart Step Families, the director of Family Life Blended and the creator and author of numerous books on step family living. He and his wife, Nan, have three sons and live in Little Rock, Arkansas. Ron Deal is a wealth of knowledge and has an amazing heart. Join us for this conversation     Interview:   What has COVID looked like at the Deal house? (1:42) How many families or marriages are impacted by being blended families? (2:54) You did not grow up in a step family. Where did your passion for this come from? (5:08) We need to get real on the tension. When we hear ‘blended family’ we often think Brady Bunch. Is that how they work? (6:40) What are some of the common family dilemmas a blended family may be facing? (11:45) A lot of divorced parents get remarried and they’re doing well. But the kids are the ones feeling like they’re tossed all over the place. Talk to that family. (17:38) I read in your book with Gary Chapman - The 7 Blended Family Principles For Loving Well. Can you share those with us? (26:40) As a step child, what is it like for their parent to take up for the step-parent? (32:04) What are some other blended family principles? (36:57) What is one simple thing blended families could do in the middle of chaos? (45:19) We’re going to give some books away - leave your info in the comments! (47:47)   RESOURCES: The Smart Step Family Building Love Together in Blended Families Smart Stepfamilies Family Life Blended Ron Deal’s website     We’d love to connect with you on Instagram or Facebook!   This episode was brought to you by the Married People Membership—an affordable, monthly subscription that provides married couples like you a ton of great resources every month to help you do marriage better. That means new date nights, videos, eBooks, messages, and more available to you when you need it - all in one place at one low price. Go to our website to find out more about the Married People Membership.   We hope you’ll join us for next week’s episode!