Bonus Families are the New Traditional Family: Here's How to Make Them Work

  Dr. Jann Blackstone that specializes in child custody, co-parenting, divorce, and step family mediation joins eHealth Radio and the Family Health & Health News Channels. She is the author of multiple books on divorce, remarriage, and co-parenting.  Her newest book is The Bonus Family Handbook: The Definitive Guide to Co-Parenting and Creating Stronger Families.  Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels & guest Dr. Jann Blackstone discuss the following:

1. What can co-parents do when they just can't get along, and every discussion or decision is fraught with tension and resentment?

2. How can you get exes to stop badmouthing each other? Do most people even know what badmouthing is?

3. Why is badmouthing so harmful for the children — what message does it send that co-parents miss?

4. When a child confides in one of their parents and asks them not to tell the other one, should that request be honored? What's more important — gaining the child's trust by keeping the secret, or keeping communication open between co-parents?
5. What happens when a judge issues a decision in a divorce or a separation — for instance about keeping to a rigid schedule — but it just doesn't always work for the co-parents?
6. What does "put your children first" really mean?
7. What if one co-parent starts dating again — should they tell the other parent?
8. If a co-parent wants to share that they've met someone important, who should they tell first — their children, or the other parent, and why?
9. Is there a single factor that can make blending the family more successful?
10. You coined the term "bonus family" — what does that mean, and why do you want people to use that instead of "step family"?
11. Many co-parents need some help with communication. What are some words to watch out for — that may seem they should promote positive communication, but in fact, they don't help?
12. What's a good strategy for co-parents who feel like they should be done trying to problem-solve together, but really still have challenges to face when it comes to the children? How do you convince them to work together?

Dr. Jann Blackstone specializes in child custody, co-parenting, divorce, and step family mediation. She is the author of multiple books on divorce, remarriage, and co-parenting, including Ex-Etiquette for Parents: Good Behavior After Divorce and Separation, Ex-Etiquette for Weddings, Ex-Etiquette for Holidays, and My Parents are Divorced, Too. Dr. Blackstone is also the founder of Bonus Families, a 501 c3 non-profit organization dedicated to peaceful coexistence between divorced or separated parents and their combined families. Her new book is The Bonus Family Handbook: The Definitive Guide to Co-Parenting and Creating Stronger Families.  Website: https://www.bonusfamilies.com Social Media Links: Facebook (Bonus Families): https://www.facebook.com/bonusfamilies  Facebook (Jann Blackstone): .css-j9qmi7{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;font-weight:700;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:2.8rem;width:100%;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:start;justify-content:start;padding-left:5rem;}@media only screen and (max-width: 599px){.css-j9qmi7{padding-left:0;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;}}.css-j9qmi7 svg{fill:#27292D;}.css-j9qmi7 .eagfbvw0{-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;color:#27292D;}