Tag Archives: Communication
Meditations on conflict
A recent peek into my blog stats showed up this search string: “killer care bear” And this: “vicious care bear” And my favourite: “care bears with guns” As a mediator, I know that a “care bear” conflict style (often called … Continue reading
Filed under Communication, Family, Linkety-Link, Resources, Stepfamily Life, The Search String Diaries
Just asking
Does anyone else find it really, really difficult when your partner wants you to look through photos of his kids as babies that were taken when his first family was intact? Mixed in are inevitably photos of the kids’ mum, … Continue reading
Filed under Communication, Family, Kids, Lovely Man, Random, Stepfamily Life, The Ex
Storm’s coming
You know how maestro piano players are sometimes described as playing a piece of music “stormily”? The Lovely Man is in the study at the moment, and I can tell he is writing his email response to the Boys’ Mum’s … Continue reading
Filed under Communication, Lovely Man, Stepfamily Life, The Ex
Shades of beige
Monday was the first night of our regular week with the kids. As usual, Boy A was fairly hostile towards me: he refused to respond to my hello, and every comment I made (not to him – I don’t waste … Continue reading
Filed under Communication, Kids, Lovely Man, Speaking Up Challenge, Stepfamily Life
Speak Up Week Challenge – first check-in
The Speak Up Week challenge continues. Our last few days with the Boys were spent taking them interstate to visit the Lovely Man’s extended family. I find travelling with the kids a real “hot button” time when the biological force field … Continue reading
Filed under Communication, Lovely Man, Speaking Up Challenge, Stepfamily Life, Travel
Stepmother mantras
Reading this post from stepmama metamorphoses (who has been so inspiring as she works through the process of stepping back from her husband’s ex’s dramas) as well as Sherri’s weekly affirmations at Too Many Toasters, I got thinking about the … Continue reading
Filed under Communication, Counselling, Family, Kids, Me, Stepfamily Life
Making rules…
…but for pity’s sake don’t even think of calling them “family rules”! I can almost hear the reaction now, echoed back from eleventy million step households: “You’re not my family and you don’t make rules for me!” [Sarcasm switches off] … Continue reading
Filed under Communication, Counselling, Kids, Lovely Man, Me, Stepfamily Life
The Unnegotiables
Boy A once described something as “unnegotiable” – I’ve never forgotten the clumsy word. A brilliant post from Urban Stepmom got me thinking about what is “unnegotiable” for me. In the past, I’ve tended to put up and shut up a … Continue reading
Filed under Communication, Kids, Stepfamily Life
But wait, there’s more! Five extra things not to say to a stepmother
Five more things you should never say to a stepmother (assuming you don’t want to be fattened up for Sunday lunch). Continue reading
Filed under Communication, Kids, Lovely Man, Me, Stepfamily Life, The Ex, Writing
Dear Kate
My response to a comment on the series of posts titled “The Mother Issue”. Continue reading
Filed under Communication, Me, The Ex, Writing
