Different Parenting Styles
Isabella said one hard thing for her growing up in a blended family was the difference in parenting styles. Her mom was a disciplinarian with tight boundaries, but her dad let her and her siblings do whatever they wanted. They'd go back to mom's house and think, "Oh, I can't do that here." Having different rules is confusing. It invites kids to play the game and manipulate the system rather than learn the lessons the rules were meant to teach. Parenting in complex families requires cooperation.
Show Notes
About the Guest
-
Isabella said one hard thing for her growing up in a blended family was the difference in parenting styles. Her mom was a disciplinarian with tight boundaries, but her dad let her and her siblings do whatever they wanted. They'd go back to mom's house and think, "Oh, I can't do that here." Having different rules is confusing. It invites kids to play the game and manipulate the system rather than learn the lessons the rules were meant to teach. Parenting in complex families requires cooperation.
-
Ron Deal
Ron L. Deal is one of the most widely read and viewed experts on blended families in the country. He is Director of FamilyLife Blended® for FamilyLife®, founder of Smart Stepfamilies™, and the author and Consulting Editor of the Smart Stepfamily Series of books including the bestselling Building Love Together in Blended Families: The 5 Love Languages® and Becoming Stepfamily Smart (with Dr. Gary Chapman), The Smart Stepfamily: 7 Steps to a Healthy Family, and ...more
Parenting requires cooperation.
