Tips for Making a Blended Family Work

Don and I met on my first day of work at a doctor’s office. It was his first time visiting. We chatted while I took his vital signs, and on his way out he asked for my phone number. After dating for a few months, we knew we wanted to marry. Thus began our journey as a blended family.

Today, Don and I are married with three children: Gabi, 27, from my previous relationship (she was seven when we got married); and our two biological children, Donielle, 18, whom we call ‘Doni,’ and Jakim, 16. We even have a one-year-old grandson, Weylan Malcolm.

Many people ask, “How did you make your blended family work?” With so much divorce in our society, I can see how this perplexes folks. And let me tell you, it hasn’t always been easy or simple. Neither Don, nor I, had been married before, and Don didn’t have any previous children or parenting experience, so there were multiple learning curves going on. Many times I felt like pulling my hair out from frustration. But we stuck with it, and we’ve made it work. My prayer is that these five tips will help you or a loved one blend your own family successfully.

Tip Number One: Pray

I am so serious about this.

Bringing children and a spouse together is a totally different dynamic that can make or break a new marriage.

Gabi and Don had issues at first. When Gabi would get in trouble in school, Don was super hard on her. He wanted her to excel. He always said how he wasn’t raised by both…