Blended Families – Divorce Dialogues https://divorcedialogues.com A Podcast on Collaborative Divorce Fri, 13 May 2022 17:50:28 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.9.3 https://divorcedialogues.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/cropped-DivorceDialogues-Diamond-Favicon-1-32x32.png Blended Families – Divorce Dialogues https://divorcedialogues.com 32 32 Helping Teens Cope with Divorce & Adapt to Blended Families with Barbara Rothberg https://divorcedialogues.com/helping-teens-cope-with-divorce-adapt-to-blended-families-with-barbara-rothberg/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=helping-teens-cope-with-divorce-adapt-to-blended-families-with-barbara-rothberg https://divorcedialogues.com/helping-teens-cope-with-divorce-adapt-to-blended-families-with-barbara-rothberg/#respond Wed, 20 Feb 2019 01:00:08 +0000 https://divorcedialogues.com/?p=670 EP: 093 Barbara Rothberg Helping Teens Cope with Divorce & Adapt to Blended Families Divorce is never easy on the kids involved, but the process can be particularly fraught for teenagers. How does divorce impact teens differently than younger children? What is the best way to customize a parenting plan for teens? And how can […]

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Barbara Rothberg

Helping Teens Cope with Divorce & Adapt to Blended Families


Divorce is never easy on the kids involved, but the process can be particularly fraught for teenagers. How does divorce impact teens differently than younger children? What is the best way to customize a parenting plan for teens? And how can you support teens in adapting to a new, blended family?

Barbara Rothberg, DSW, LCSW, has 35-plus years of experience helping clients resolve conflicts and navigate transitions in their lives. In her role as a divorce coach and child specialist, Barbara helps families customize solutions that emphasize the best interest of the child. She often serves as a mediator or family specialist in the collaborative divorce setting, and Barbara’s work as a parent coordinator allows her to support separated parents in becoming good co-parents to their children.

Today, Barbara joins Katherine to explain how divorce impacts a teen’s growing autonomy and offers insight around designing a parenting plan for older children. She describes how teens think about blended families, discussing why it’s important to give them the freedom not to like a parent’s new partner—as long as they’re respectful. Listen in for Barbara’s advice on being up front with your teens and learn why she advocates for making your child a priority, regardless of their age when you divorce.

Topics Covered

How divorce impacts a teen’s growing autonomy

Barbara’s definition of what it means to be a teen

Why Barbara cautions against hiding divorce from kids

The best way to tell your kids you are divorcing

  1. Share with all children at same time
  2. Don’t give false reassurances

Why Barbara suggests week-long timesharing for teens

The value in giving teens input on the parenting plan

How to handle teens who don’t want to see a parent

Creating a parenting plan based on the family’s needs

How incremental engaging helps teens adapt to stepparents

Giving teens the freedom not to like a stepparent

Barbara’s insight on spending alone-time with your teen

How to approach a blended family with stepsiblings

Barbara’s advice for divorcing parents with teens

  • Don’t get in power struggle
  • Do things slowly
  • Make children priority

Connect with Barbara Rothberg

Barbara’s Website

Connect with Katherine Miller

The Center for Understanding Conflict

Miller Law Group

Katherine on LinkedIn

The New Yorker’s Guide to Collaborative Divorce by Katherine Miller

Email katherine@miller-law.com

Call (914) 738-7765

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]]> https://divorcedialogues.com/helping-teens-cope-with-divorce-adapt-to-blended-families-with-barbara-rothberg/feed/ 0 Changing the Cultural Narrative Around Stepparents and Blended Families with Monique Honaman https://divorcedialogues.com/changing-the-cultural-narrative-around-stepparents-and-blended-families/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=changing-the-cultural-narrative-around-stepparents-and-blended-families https://divorcedialogues.com/changing-the-cultural-narrative-around-stepparents-and-blended-families/#respond Wed, 01 Nov 2017 01:00:07 +0000 http://dev.divorcedialogues.com/?p=233 EP: 059 Monique Honaman Changing the Cultural Narrative Around Stepparents and Blended Families Stepparents tend to get a bad rap. Odds are, your first encounter with the role was through the archetype of an evil stepmother in a fairy tale like Cinderella. The cultural narrative depicts stepparents as a negative force in the life of […]

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Monique Honaman

Changing the Cultural Narrative Around

Stepparents and Blended Families


Stepparents tend to get a bad rap. Odds are, your first encounter with the role was through the archetype of an evil stepmother in a fairy tale like Cinderella. The cultural narrative depicts stepparents as a negative force in the life of a child—either ignoring, taking advantage, or actively working against them!

Monique Honaman is on a mission to change the narrative. She has joined forces with her husband, Justin, to write BONUS Dad! BONUS Mom! A Child’s Guide to Understanding the Role of a Step-Parent. The picture book illustrates the positive role a bonus parent can play, not to replace either parent—but to be a ‘bonus’ trusted adult in the child’s life. Monique has also written two books for adults on the topic of divorce, The High Road Has Less Traffic and The High Road Has Less Traffic … and a Better View.

Today, Monique joins Katherine to share the inspiration for BONUS Dad! BONUS Mom! She explains the message of the book and what she has learned from reader feedback. Monique discusses her own experience, offering advice on how to include the kids as you build a strong blended family. Listen in and learn how to avoid competition between step- and biological parents and reframe the stepparent as an additional positive role model—a BONUS!

Topics Covered

The impetus for BONUS Dad! BONUS Mom!

The messages behind BONUS Dad! BONUS Mom!

  • Bonus vs. replacement
  • No superheroes
  • Value words

How competition between biological and stepparents puts kids in an unfair place

Monique’s guidance for adults who feel threatened by stepparents

  • Empathize with children
  • Conversation with bonus parent
  • Set ground rules, expectations

The pros and cons of bonus parents who don’t have kids of their own

What Monique learned in writing BONUS Dad! BONUS Mom!

  • Applies to diverse situations beyond divorce

Why the ‘core parent’ should handle issues like discipline

How the bonus parent can serve as a trusted role model in a child’s life

Monique’s advice for putting together a strong blended family

The common thread among Monique’s High Road books and BONUS Dad! BONUS Mom!

Monique’s mission to change the narrative around what it means to be a stepparent

Connect with Monique Honaman

Monique’s Website

Bonus Dad and Bonus Mom Website

Resources

BONUS Dad! BONUS Mom! A Child’s Guide to Understanding the Role of a Step-Parent by Justin and Monique Honaman

The High Road Has Less Traffic: Honest Advice on the Path Through Love and Divorce by Monique A. Honaman

The High Road Has Less Traffic … and a Better View by Monique A. Honaman

Janis Abrahms Spring

National Stepfamily Resource Center

Connect with Katherine Miller

The Center for Understanding Conflict
Miller Law Group
Katherine on LinkedIn

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