HOME   CONTACT US  Like Us On Facebook Watch us on YouTube  
Smart Stepfamilies


Order from FamilyLife, Amazon or Barnes & Noble now!
 ABOUT US   SMART HELP   EVENTS   SMART STORE   MEDIA   DONATE 
Home > LEARN - Videos & Articles

Videos & Articles to Improve Your Life
 

Welcome to the world's largest collection of faith-based online videos and articles for blended families and pre-stepfamily couples.

Feel free to bookmark or print the following articles for yourself, a friend, or educator/therapist. To receive more helpful articles sign up for our E-Magazine. 

View Marriage, Family, & Stepfamily Statistics

 
 
Watch & Listen Online
Articles for Stepfamilies
Stepfamily Living
 ·  How God Uses Family Life to Disciple Us
 ·  Stepping Up in a Stepfamily
 ·  Don't Go Nuclear!
 ·  "DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR? …..NO!"
 ·  How to Cook a Stepfamily
 ·  Soothing Holiday Stresses
 ·  Combining Holiday and Family Traditions
 ·  Six Ways to Avoid Holiday Step-Stress This Christmas
 ·  When the "White Picket Fence" Fades
 ·  Twenty Pro-Active Suggestions for Bridge Building in Blended Families
 ·  Is There Sunken Treasure in Your Home?
 ·  No Apologies Necessary: Building Your Home With Purpose
 ·  Learning to Roll With Change
 ·  Living Arrangements
 ·  Food Fight!
 ·  "Thankful, Thanksgiving Stories"
 ·  New Beginnings
 ·  Working Together
 ·  Playing Together
 ·  Stepfamily Math
 ·  Tradition, Tradition! Creating Christ-Centered Traditions for Your Thanksgiving & Christmas
 ·  Six Steps Forward, Not Looking Back
 ·  Unrealistic Expectation #439: My Life is My Own
 ·  Growing Together
 ·  Counting the Dog Years
 ·  Not for Sale!
 ·  Tightrope
 ·  A Touch of Inspiration Out of the Mouth of Babes
 ·  The Stepfamily Vacation
 ·  11 Survival Tips for the Early Years
 ·  One is Silver, the Other Gold
 ·  Holiday Hope… for Single Parents and Blending Families
 ·  A New Family
 ·  Enduring Disharmony
 ·  Smart Churches, Smart Stepfamilies
 ·  I Choose To Love You
 ·  Weathering Storms in a Stepfamily
 ·  Preserve Your Life -- Hold Your Tongue
 ·  Creating a Family Identity
 ·  Tribute to John Visher, MD
 ·  Play!
 ·  Creating an Enjoyable Stepfamily Holiday
 ·  Foxholes
 ·  Overcoming the Jealousy Monster
 ·  The Blame Game
 ·  Is it Graduation Time?
 ·  Resurrected Pain
 ·  Weddings and the Stepfamily
 ·  A Christmas Remembered
 ·  Flex Your Muscles
 ·  The Dance of Want
 ·  Talking Blended
 ·  A Matter of Perspective
Sharing Hope & Finding Help
 ·  How To Find a Competent Christian Stepfamily Therapist
 ·  "How Can I Light A Ministry Fire Under My Minister?"
 ·  Starting Your Local Ministry
Marriage Smarts
 ·  Stepfamilies: What About the Couple Relationship?
 ·  Protecting Your Marriage: Avoiding the Six Predictors of Divorce (Part 1 of 2)
 ·  Protecting Your Marriage: The Art of the Repair Attempt (Part 2 of 2)
 ·  Lost & Found: Pain and Grace of Remarriage
 ·  Adding Significance to Your Marriage
 ·  When Love Isn't Enough
 ·  Maximize Your Fun-Factor
 ·  After The Wedding: The Honeymoon is Over
 ·  Sex the Second Time Around
 ·  Your Spouse Grieves Too
 ·  Managing the Fires of Conflict in Marriage
 ·  Recipe for a Happy Marriage (Serves Two)
 ·  Ghost Whispers
 ·  Shared Ghost Busting: When Your Spouse Has a Ghost
 ·  Couple Flexibility: A Hidden Key to Marital Intimacy (Part 1)
 ·  Relational Flexibility (Couple Flexibility Part 2)
 ·  The Heart of Flexibility (Couple Flexibility Part 3)
 ·  We Both have Baggage... But it’s Cute and it Matches!
 ·  Key Qualities for Great Lovemaking*
 ·  Healthy Boundaries: New Partners & Old Ones
 ·  Enhancing Your Sexual Intimacy
 ·  Remarriage Sex: Tips for Not Getting Caught in the Past
 ·  Healthy Sexpectations
 ·  Both the Marriage and the Kids
 ·  A Daily Dose of Marriage Wisdom
 ·  Building Your Stepfamily Safety Net
 ·  Staying Close
 ·  Ruts & Bruises
Smart Stepmoms
 ·  The Smart Stepmom: Introduction
 ·  Prayers for Stepmom's
 ·  I Knew I Was a Stepmother When...
 ·  Loving the Stepmomster
 ·  A Struggling Stepmother
 ·  You're Not My Mom!
 ·  Jeannie, from Louisiana. Learning From a Good Stepmom
 ·  Mother’s Day: What’s a Stepmother to Do?
 ·  Finding Time to Dance & Dine: Time for Romance (Part 1)
 ·  Finding Time to Dance & Dine (Part 2)
 ·  Finding Time to Dance & Dine (Part 3)
 ·  The Stepmother Journey
 ·  Stepping with Purpose ebook (PDF)
Parenting & Stepparenting
 ·  When Your Child's Other Home is Leading Them Away From Christ
 ·  How to Build a Healthy Relationship With Your Stepchild
 ·  When Your Spouse is Deployed
 ·  Smart Stepparenting
 ·  Parenting Alienated Children
 ·  Accepting My New Spouse as a Parent to My Children
 ·  Winning Your Stepchild
 ·  The Wicked Stepmother--and Other Ridiculous Stepmother Myths
 ·  The Sane Step: Pitfalls to Avoid
 ·  Choose Simplicity
 ·  Parenting: Keeping the End in Mind
 ·  Discpline Strategies: Catch Them Doing Something Right!
 ·  Parenting: Managing Yourself
 ·  Stepfathering Adolescents: It Takes Patience, Flexibility, & Humor
 ·  Discipline Strategies That Work: Talk Less, Act More
 ·  Stepparent Tool Box
 ·  Stepparent Inspiration: Two Little Words
 ·  A Work in Progress
 ·  Seeing God's Answer
 ·  Open Hands, Open Heart
 ·  The Worst Father's Day, The Best Father's Day
 ·  The Effective Step Father
 ·  His Number One Girl
 ·  Unrealistic Expectation #439: My Life is My Own
 ·  Stepparents: Coping with the Weekend
 ·  Erma Bombeck on Stepfathers
 ·  The Name Game
 ·  Paralyzed Parenting & Stepfamilies: When You Don’t Follow Through
 ·  Learning From a Good Stepmom
 ·  Hope for the Struggling Stepparent
 ·  The Parental Unity Rules
 ·  Instilling the Attitude of Gratitude
 ·  Helping Children Cope with Loss: Practice Emotional Coaching
 ·  Bridge Building Tips for Stepparents
 ·  Parental Pitfall: Always Playing Defense
 ·  Stepparenting Smart: Finding Your Place
 ·  What Do We Do Now? When Stepsiblings Have Sex
 ·  A Christmas Remembered
 ·  Stepparenting: The Attachment Difference
 ·  Changing the Rules
 ·  Part-Time Parenting
 ·  When the Going Gets Tough, Click Reboot
 ·  More Precious Than Rubies: Step Father Wisdom
 ·  Stepparenting Teens
 ·  Where's Mom? The Disengaged Biological Parent
 ·  After a Parent Dies: Tips for Stepparents
 ·  Stepparent Encouragement for the Long Journey
 ·  Guide, Guard, and Direct: The Overprotective Parent
 ·  Playing Favorites
 ·  Stepparenting Do's and Don'ts
 ·  Maintaining Touch-points
 ·  Parenting Troubling Emotions
 ·  Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Understanding & Helping the Children
 ·  Jealous Children
 ·  Helping Children Through the Losses of Life
 ·  Becoming Brothers
 ·  Life Commentary: Between Two Worlds
 ·  When Life Hurts: Understanding Children and Loss
 ·  Caught in the Middle: The Loyalty Tug-of War
Ex-Spouses, Co-Parenting & Multiple Home Realities
 ·  Common Steps for Co-Parents
 ·  10 Respectful Strategies to Use with an Unhealthy Co-Parent
 ·  Dealing with a Difficult Ex-Spouse
 ·  From Eggshells to Empathy
 ·  Facing the Authorities: What Happens When an Officer Knocks on Your Door?
 ·  Every Other Weekend and Noon on Christmas: Adjusting to Part-Time Parenting
 ·  Seven Beattitudes for Successful Co-Parenting
 ·  Keeping Your Cool in the Heat of Summer Visitation Planning
 ·  Preparing for the Holidays
 ·  Photos & Memorabilia
 ·  The "I" Factor
 ·  Parent Forward
 ·  A Gracious Thing… in the Sight of God!
 ·  “Business Meeting Mentality” for the Sake of the Children
 ·  “CoGrandparenting!” for the Sake of the Children
 ·  Cheerlead the Other Parent!
 ·  Tis the Season to Share the Children
 ·  Parenting After Divorce
 ·  Cooperative Co-Parenting
 ·  6-week Summer Sleepover!
 ·  Dealing with a Destructive Ex-Spouse
 ·  Between Home Boundaries
Step-Money
 ·  $tepfamily Finance$: Money & $tuff
 ·  $tepfamily Finance$: Money & $tuff-- Part 2
 ·  $tepfamily Finance$: Money & $tuff-- Part 3
 ·  $tepfamily Finance$: Money & $tuff-- Part 4
 ·  Foolproof Money Mistakes
 ·  Remarriage Finances Part 1: Why is Money Such a Problem?
 ·  Remarriage Finances Part 2: Financial Harmony in Remarriage
 ·  Remarriage Finances Part 3: Emphasizing With One's Life Experiences
 ·  Remarriage Finances Part 4: Inventorying Our Blessings And Responsibilities
 ·  Remarriage Finances Part 5: How To Keep The Issue Of Separateness From Pulling Your Remarriage Apart
 ·  Remarriage Finances Part 6: Getting Started As A Remarriage Couple
 ·  Remarriage Finances Part 7: Special Financial Issues To Consider Before Remarriage--Estate Planning
 ·  Remarriage Finances Part 8: Getting Started as a Remarriage Couple
 ·  Remarriage Finances Part 9: Putting Your Remarriage Financial Plan Into Action
 ·  Remarital Finances Part 10: Private Trusts and Premarital Agreements In Remarriage
 ·  Remarital Finances Part 11: Private Trusts And Premarital Agreements In Remarriage--Psychological and Legal Concerns
 ·  Remarital Finances Part 12: Making Allowances: Modeling Good Financial Conduct For All Children In A Blending Family
 ·  Money Questions for Dating Couples
 ·  When and How to use a Shared Covenant Agreement in a Christian Remarriage
 ·  Step-Money: Getting to the Heart of the Matter
Later-life Stepfamilies
 ·  Adult Stepfamilies
 ·  Adult Stepfamilies: Bridging Connection Across the Generations
 ·  Normal
 ·  Second-half Stepfamilies
Special Topics
 ·  Stepgrandparenting: Bringing the Outsider In
Recommended Resources for Stepfamilies
Permission Forms for Stepfamilies
Articles for Single-Parents and Dating/Engaged Couples
Decisions about Marriage
 ·  Is Remarriage A Step in the Right Direction?
 ·  Thinking About Remarriage?
 ·  Divorced? Don't Even Think of Remarrying Until You Read This
 ·  Unrealistic Expectation #439: My Life is My Own
 ·  The Elephant in the Bedroom: Cohabitation, Remarriage, and What’s Best for Your Relationship
Finding a Mate
 ·  Finding A Suitable Remarriage Partner (Part 1) -- Seek Godly Counsel
 ·  Finding A Suitable Remarriage Partner (Part 2) --The Dating Process
 ·  Finding A Suitable Remarriage Partner (Part 3) --There's No Substitute for Spirituality
 ·  Finding A Suitable Remarriage Partner (Part 4) --Don't Ignore the Stop Signs!
 ·  12 Traits of an Abuser
Preparing for Success
 ·  10 Things to Know Before You Remarry
 ·  Premarital Counseling for Those Pondering Remarriage
 ·  Common Steps for Co-Parents
 ·  Dealing with a Difficult Ex-Spouse
 ·  Secure Your Mask
 ·  Covenant Marriage: A Marriage to Last a Lifetime
 ·  Seven Beattitudes for Successful Co-Parenting
 ·  Children & Remarriage: The Family Wedding
 ·  Do-It-Yourself Pre-stepfamily Preparation
Wise Dating & Courtship Practices
 ·  Kids, Getting Married, and Moving
 ·  How does God feel about sex before marriage?
 ·  The Elephant in the Bedroom: Cohabitation, Remarriage, and What's Best for Your Relationship
 ·  Dating Red Flags
 ·  Money Questions for Dating Couples
 ·  Mountain Environments of Dating
 ·  Into the Meadow
 ·  What Happens in the Meadow
 ·  Why Responsible, Dependable Dating Single Parents Lose their Mind
 ·  Myths of the Meadow
 ·  Double Extreme Environments
 ·  When a Parent Dates a Non-Parent
 ·  The Dating Game
 ·  Best Practices for Dating Single Parents
(and the Singles Who Date Them)
 ·  Dating Wisdom
Ex-Spouses, Co-Parenting & Multiple Home Realities
 ·  Common Steps for Co-Parents
 ·  10 Respectful Strategies to Use with an Unhealthy Co-Parent
 ·  Dealing with a Difficult Ex-Spouse
 ·  From Eggshells to Empathy
 ·  Facing the Authorities: What Happens When an Officer Knocks on Your Door?
 ·  Every Other Weekend and Noon on Christmas: Adjusting to Part-Time Parenting
 ·  Seven Beattitudes for Successful Co-Parenting
 ·  Keeping Your Cool in the Heat of Summer Visitation Planning
 ·  Preparing for the Holidays
 ·  Photos & Memorabilia
 ·  The "I" Factor
 ·  Parent Forward
 ·  A Gracious Thing… in the Sight of God!
 ·  “Business Meeting Mentality” for the Sake of the Children
 ·  “CoGrandparenting!” for the Sake of the Children
 ·  Cheerlead the Other Parent!
 ·  Tis the Season to Share the Children
 ·  Parenting After Divorce
 ·  Cooperative Co-Parenting
 ·  6-week Summer Sleepover!
 ·  Dealing with a Destructive Ex-Spouse
 ·  Between Home Boundaries
Articles for Educators & Ministry Leaders
 ·  Stepfamily Ministry
 ·  Redeeming the Remarried
 ·  Ministering to Stepfamilies
 ·  Getting Serious About Preventing Redivorce
 ·  Guiding Stepfamilies Through Wilderness Wanderings
 ·  We Need Help So Desperately!
 ·  A Philosophy of Family Life Ministry
 ·  Starting Your Local Ministry
 ·  That's Interesting!
 ·  Getting Remarried with Children: Effective Pre-Stepfamily Counseling
 ·  Pre-Stepcouple Counseling: A Sample Session Format
 ·  Second Marriages: Helping Couples Embrace a Positive Future
 ·  Ministering to Children of Divorce Through Their Lives
 ·  The Stepcouple Divorce Rate
 ·  Recommended Resources for Stepfamily Ministry
 ·  Divided Loyalties
 ·  What is it with Men and Commitment, Anyway?
 ·  Stepfamily Developmental Tasks
 ·  Making A Difference: Ministering to 21st Century Families
 ·  Non-traditional Family Continuum of Care: A Ministry Model
 ·  Scriptural Issues Related to Divorce and Remarriage
 ·  Acknowledging Stepparent's on Mother's Day and Father's Day?
 ·  Why the Couple Checkup?
 ·  Smart Churches, Smart Stepfamilies
 ·  Jon and Kate Plus 25
 ·  Being an Effective Teacher: What Makes the Difference?
 ·  A Call to Action: Reaction to the Pew Research Report
Counselor Quick Links
Client Quick Links
Quick Links

LEARN - Videos & Articles

EXPERIENCE - Conferences & Webinars

SAVE - Marriage Therapy Intensives

GROW - Get a Couple Checkup

EDUCATE - Blended Family Ministry & Professional Training
Testimonials