( 10 reviews )
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Posted: May 6 2009
As a step mother and a biological mother I run into a lot of "blended" family issues every day. One of them is my husband's ex wife. We have no relationships, not even good working relationships, which is pretty sad, because non-communication is effecting her child, my step-child; maybe not as much right now because my step-daughter is only 4 years old, but it will definately effect her as she gets older. I've enjoyed reading this book, and learned that building good working relationships with your husband's ex spouse might take years. But as long as you put children first, eventually, the ex-spouse and the blended family issues will come around! Just give it time :)
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Posted: Feb 22 2009
I agree 100% with reviewer Amy G....if you have a co-mother who does not communicate, does not like children, or has major issues of her own apart from the children, this book will not have much to offer. However, if the two women in question are both mature adults, have good self-esteem, and have a genuine concern for the children's best interests, there is a lot of information in this book which can facilitate healthy coparenting experiences. Areas covered include setting and respecting boundaries, discipline, communication, competition, respect vs. rudeness, putting the kids first, realistic expectations for a relationship which includes children, mental health problems, and the fact that ex-spouses are entitled to have a relationship: "They have children together, and as responsible parents they need to talk and communicate effectively about those children." A divorced parent who does not receive at least that minimum level of cooperation and communication might be helped by a trip back to the custody lawyer.
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Posted: Feb 22 2009
I agree 100% with reviewer Amy G....if you have a co-mother who does not communicate, does not like children, or has major issues of her own apart from the children, this book will not have much to offer. However, if the two women in question are both mature adults, have good self-esteem, and have a genuine concern for the children's best interests, there is a lot of information in this book which can facilitate healthy coparenting experiences. Areas covered include setting and respecting boundaries, discipline, communication, competition, respect vs. rudeness, putting the kids first, realistic expectations for a relationship which includes children, mental health problems, and the fact that ex-spouses are entitled to have a relationship: "They have children together, and as responsible parents they need to talk and communicate effectively about those children."
