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Blended Families

 

 

Handle with care!

 

 

Maxine and her family have lived with the blessings and challenges of a blended family, which includes seven children, for over twenty-nine years. She brings to her writing and speaking, insight formed in the fire of trial. Her husband did not readily warm up to her children, family members failed to deal with grief from their former families, the children faced favouritism, visitation was awkward, and discipline was not unified. Within two years a baby daughter completed the "ours" of their already fragile family.

Maxine emphasizes the need for sensitivity in co-parenting. Children in blended families live in two different worlds with two different sets of rules. The rules change from house to house, and yet the children are expected to be compliant in both homes. Parents and stepparents who are willing to lay aside personal grievances and work as a team for the good of their combined children will open up a world of blessings, affirmation of values and establishment of camaraderie. She encourages blended families to make the most of their journey, believing with all her heart that the daily ups and downs of family life can be a very positive thing—even the second time around.

 

 

 

MAXINE MARSOLINI is a freelance writer, author, poet, pastor’s wife, and home maker. She previously was a regional co-director of the financial ministry, Crown Ministries. Maxine writes from what she calls “wisdom born of pain” through the difficult soil of a blended home. She and her husband, Charlie, reside in the state of Oregon, USA, where they serve in ministry together, working with couples who are struggling with relationship and financial issues. Maxine and Charlie have seven children in their blended family.

 

 

 

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Blended Families

By Maxine Marsolini

 

Blended families—those formed as the result of divorce and remarriage, with children to nurture—were once a novelty. Today, this model is widely recognized as “the new American family.” More than half of Americans today have been, are now, or will eventually be in one or more step-situations. Studies by The National institute of Child and Human Development indicate that in the new millennium, more of us will be living in stepfamilies than in nuclear family structures. Yet the blended family is more than just one of the fastest-growing forms of family life; it may also be the most difficult. Research shows that nearly 60 percent of these unions do not survive, and a startling number fail to make it past the first two years. Why?

• Find out what causes blended families to fail—or succeed.

• Put an end to the “revolving door” of marriage.

• Learn to deal with unexpected emotions, such as rejection and jealousy.

• Gain insights on how adults and kids can process difficult transitions.

You can put your new marriage on the path to a happy ending. Filled with genuine hope and solid answers, experienced by families like yours, Maxine Marsolini's book sensitively addresses those areas of conflict common to divorce and remarriage, and outlines practical solutions to help your family grow stronger—and your loved ones, closer—through the inevitable challenges ahead.  MAXINE MARSOLINI is a freelance writer, author, poet, pastor’s wife, and home maker. She previously was a regional co-director of the financial ministry, Crown Ministries. Maxine writes from what she calls “wisdom born of pain” through the difficult soil of a blended home. She and her husband, Charlie, reside in the state of Oregon, where they serve in ministry together, working with couples who are struggling with relationship and financial issues. Maxine and Charlie have seven children in their blended family.

 

A040: $23.50