amy@daretoparent.com

Effective parenting doesn’t require total agreement—it requires alignment. Learn how two parents can share one message, create consistency for kids, and strengthen their parenting partnership, especially in blended families.

Many couples enter the blending journey deeply in love and full of hope. They assume that because the relationship feels strong, everything else will fall into place with time. After all, love brought them together—shouldn’t it be enough to hold them together? But blending a family introduces dynamics that love alone doesn’t automatically solve.

I have an unusual question for you. Have you ever heard of the Japanese art of kintsugi ? Kintsugi is the practice of repairing broken pottery with gold or platinum. Instead of hiding cracks, the repair highlights them—honoring what has been broken while creating something entirely new. I first learned about it while watching a show, and it stayed with me. Not long after, a client said something that brought it back to mind: “As a stepfamily, we kind of keep it quiet that we’

There’s a moment many blended family couples reach — sometimes quietly, sometimes in the middle of a heated argument — when one thought rises to the surface: This isn’t what I thought it would be. It can feel unsettling to admit that. After all, this was a hopeful decision. You didn’t walk into blending your family expecting disappointment. And yet, disappointment is often part of the process. Last week, I shared the idea of giving yourself permission to grieve what you thoug

Blended family life often brings unexpected challenges. This post supports stepfamily couples navigating early blending by normalizing feelings of uncertainty and frustration. Discover how outside support, effective communication, and a strong parenting partnership can help couples move forward with clarity and confidence.

Blending families often brings a mix of excitement and uncertainty. Couples are hopeful about what they’re building together, while also quietly wondering how to navigate the many decisions ahead. I recently spoke with a couple who were preparing to blend their families, and as they shared their thoughts, two words kept coming up: could  and should . They were imagining what their family could  become, while also naming the shoulds —the values and expectations that mattered m