Famcore

We weren't naive, we just weren't very well equipped.

When Lauren and I married, we became mom and dad to a blended family of six. We knew there would be "step" challenges on many fronts, we just didn't know exactly what they would be. 

If you had asked us about our blended family expectations in the beginning, we would have given you our best guess. But that's all it would have been. We had each walked through some fires before we met, so we most certainly weren't wide-eyed, carefree newlyweds. And yet, the steepness of the "blended family learning curve" has been... impressive, to put it positively.  

We have some friends with a blended family that have been at it longer than we have, and the casual tips they've given us have been far more valuable than they realize. Why? Because their experience meant their advice was always authentic, whether it was easy to hear or not. Their knowledge had the distinction of being the "been there done that" kind. We've come to hold this distinction in high regard because unless you're in a blended family, you just can't imagine all the different dynamics and scenarios involved. It takes one to know one.  

This material is our offering to all the blended families out there who, like we did, could benefit from an authentic account of another family who has walked down the same road.  

This Blended Family video course contains two and half hours of candid, real world experience, advice, and encouragement to stepmoms and stepdads. If you are part of a blended family, or about to be, we believe there is real value for you here.

Just a few of the topics covered include:

• subtle "us vs them" mentality
• money issues
• feeling like a guest
• disciplining step children
• spousal priority
• celebrating differently
• navigating shared custody
• communicating with ex's
• having a unified front
• managing expectations

These resources are divided up into 19 videos, or "chapters".  Each chapter is between 5 and 10 minutes long, so if you don't have a lot of time you can just watch a few chapters here and there as time allows. We hope that the trailer video above, and the description here gives you an idea of what this course is. 

Now here are some things that Lauren and I are not :

• polished
• experts  
• professional video course makers
• perfect

When you film a video course with your cell phone camera, you know you're not a professional! While we took steps to make the audio and video as good as we could, what we really want is for you to feel like you're just sitting across from us in the same room, talking to friends about some of the most challenging and important things in our lives. You'll laugh, you'll cry.. we did.

So grab your spouse and have a seat. Drink some coffee - we did! May God bless you and strengthen you as you walk this blended family road.   

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Philippians 4:6-8

Want to see more? There are several excerpts from this course on the Famcore YouTube channel here.