There are different kinds of family units.  Single parent, the Traditional family, and now the Blended family, a recurring situation where couples merge and raise a family where biological and un-biological children come together.  Writer and Mind Key member Tamara Rokicki, shares her blended family journey through her personal blog.

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Blended Family: ‘a family consisting of a couple and their children from this and all previous relationships’.

I often get asked how I manage to survive—and thrive—in a blended environment. Many people expect this arrangement to be frustrating, something that either works or completely falls apart. I’ve met parents who automatically assumed there is a ‘resentment’ component among our children—biological, adopted, or step. The latest question has been, “Is it hard to be in a blended family opposed to being a ‘normal’ family?” I thought about it for a long moment. I never really thought that my family unit, despite the mechanics of biology, wouldn’t be considered normal. To answer this question, I had to pose a few more:

As a stepparent and biological mother, I can easily answer all of those questions in the same exact manner.  The truth is my family life is not primarily guided by the logistics of who is biologically related to who. It is guided by very specific rules and attitudes that shape our blended family into a ‘normal’ family.

With so many re-marriages and new relationships, the merging of biological and stepchildren is becoming a dominant trend. Still, it is a sensitive development that can either make or break a relationship.

I decided to write this blog and share my own blended family journey to provide answers to friends who seek advice on their newly blended family, as well as those curious to understand the dynamics of a blended environment.

Balance is the key in achieving a successful and peaceful blended environment. It helps put things in perspective and not lose sight of the ultimate goal (to have a happy and confident family rooted in love, understanding, and compromise.) Balance in a blended family is knowing how to run a functional household without losing sight of the important things. One perfect example is picking your battles. [READ MORE]