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 A stepfamily's Christmas in Australia |
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Deck the halls or deck the ex? When one in four Australian clans is a stepfamily, Christmas can mean double helpings of stress. Counsellor Sonja Ridden, author of Help, I'm a Stepmother, provides a guide through the season's minefield.
It's been a while since Anna felt even remotely jolly at this time of year - since her first Christmas as John's wife number two, to be precise. It's not that she hadn't looked forward to her first Christmas of wedded bliss or to giving John's two daughters the presents she had lovingly picked for each of them. In fact, she could hardly wait.
Note: (c) Sonja Ridden
published by The Age newspaper on Dec 1st, 2003
This story was found at: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/12/20/1071868693113.html |
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 'A stepfamily's Christmas in Australia'   |
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| Have a Merry ‘Step-family’ Christmas |
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Already feeling ‘step-stress’ at the prospect of Christmas? Wondering how much to spend on your stepchildren’s gifts? Feeling overwhelmed by who’s going where and when?
Christmas Day for many families is an exercise in controlled chaos, for stepfamilies take the demands of the holiday season and compound it—times two. Add to the mix two sets of parents, step-siblings, half-siblings, all the grandparents, visiting family and friends, as well as an assortment of races, cultures and religions and it can be a recipe for stepfamily disaster.
Note: By Stepfamilies Australia |
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| 'Have a Merry ‘Step-family’ Christmas' |
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| The stepfamily during the holidays |
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I was raised in a blended family as well as my children are now. Over the years my stress level has tended to increase as the holidays gets closer. You probably have said “tis the season to be jolly” but are you really feeling sick with worry? Blending families does not have to be overwhelming and stressful. I have had to work on this over the years by finding ways to soothe my inner worries, insecurities and loneliness.
Note: by The Robinson's |
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| 'The stepfamily during the holidays' |
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| Caring and sharing - the 12 ways of Christmas |
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Loneliness, resentment and frustration. You can survive them all with this guide to the complex world of step-families
1 Parent lonely
In the middle of all the fuss and festivity, being in a stepfamily can mean isolation at Christmas. Sue is one of many parents in similar straits, on her own as her kids spend Christmas with her ex, Jack, and his new partner, Jill. Christmas can be a desperately lonely and depressing time for parents who've suffered family change.
To read the rest of this article, click here
Note: By Suzie Hayman |
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| Making a Stepfamily Christmas Work |
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• Be flexible and make sacrifices. You cannot make everyone happy all the time. Accepting this truth immediately takes away the pressure to give everyone what they want. Being flexible means realizing you can combine, modify, or sacrifice old traditions during a given year in order to give your stepfamily opportunity to develop new ones. Set the tone for negotiation by showing a willingness to sacrifice. If you won’t, why should your children or stepchildren?
To read the rest of this article, click here
Note: By Ron Deal |
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| A stepfamily's Christmas in Australia |
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Deck the halls or deck the ex? When one in four Australian clans is a stepfamily, Christmas can mean double helpings of stress. Counsellor Sonja Ridden, author of Help, I'm a Stepmother, provides a guide through the season's minefield.
It's been a while since Anna felt even remotely jolly at this time of year - since her first Christmas as John's wife number two, to be precise. It's not that she hadn't looked forward to her first Christmas of wedded bliss or to giving John's two daughters the presents she had lovingly picked for each of them. In fact, she could hardly wait.
To read the rest of this story, click here
Note: by Sonja Ridden |
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| 10 Christmas survival tips for step parents |
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For a happy, enjoyable Stepfamily Christmas, Jo says:
Prepare yourself If you have children coming to visit who don’t usually live with you, think about how you would like things to be while they are with you. If their visits are sometimes difficult, don’t dwell on that. Think of all the positives you can do to make their stay happy, for you and them.
If the children usually live with you, expect them to be with their other parent for some of the Christmas holiday.
To read the rest of this article click here
Note: by Jo Ball |
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| A stepfamily Christmas |
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It was our first Christmas as a stepfamily.
My 9-year-old son, Travis, and I had just finished decorating our Christmas tree with a half-dozen of “our” ornaments--eggs hand-painted with pastel colors. We were about to add our strings of popcorn and cranberries. Bill and his kids, 6-year-old Chris and 9-year-old Emily, worked the other side of the tree, adding “their” Christmas tree ware: blinking, multi-colored lights, tinsel, and glossy, striped and sparkled orbs.
To read the rest of this article, click here
Note: by Lisa Cohn |
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Sonja Ridden.com |
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Books We Recommend |
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Updated Feb 08
This book is now available world-wide
"Hell..p Im a Stepmother"
by Sonja Ridden is a book of a different kind. The author speaks of her personal experiences and shares her step-struggles with honesty and integrity, thereby normalising the painful feelings that can accompany the step-journey. She also provides helpful suggestions for overcoming many step-obstacles.
This book is a MUST if YOU struggle with YOUR step-journey.
FOR MORE INFO & HOW TO OBTAIN THIS AND OTHER HELPFUL BOOKS
click here
NEW BOOKS ADDED FEB 08
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Book Reviews |
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To read what reviewers are saying click here
I just finished your book, ‘FANTASTIC!!’, I have recommended it to several other stepmums I am in contact with. The way you have written the book is so easy to read and understand, I know it has already helped me and will help many others. Thank you for writing it.
To read more and what other step-parents are saying click here
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