Claudette's Blog

Summer is here. School is out. Kids are at home and sooner than you really would like to know, they are getting bored and looking for something to do (mainly you telling them what they can and cannot do).

Oh no! This is not at all how you were hoping your summer was going to go right? For many of us, summer time is often viewed as a time to have fun with family members, going on picnics, hikes, family events, outdoor parties, swimming, camping, etc. I’m sure that many of you have fond memories of your own summer vacations.

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I am sitting here in beautiful Roanoke, VA in our RV. This is part of life that I enjoy the most...working remotely in our RV and enjoying the scenery around me.

This morning, I gave a presentation to a moms group here in Roanoke on the Powers of Effective Communication and how it helps to build and strengthen relationships. I believe that any relationship needs to be tended to on a continuous basis. My husband and I both work quite a bit. It seems that when the kids grew up and left the nest, we thought that we would have so much time together to do what we thought we couldn't do before.

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I always say that parenting is a life long commitment. It never ends. I have a 26 year old son and two stepdaughters, 26 and 27 and let me tell you that I fell very much their parent now as I did when they were tiny.

Of course, it's very different today, because I don't tell them what to do (well, sort of ;0) ) but I am there to listen to them and talk about issues they go through as they now are married and are/becoming parents.

This is the same for divorced parents. Although you may not be married to your ex-spouse, both of you have a responsibility towards your children. So where does that leave me, as a stepmom? The same place I've always been, an additional parent to my stepdaughters when they need support or someone to listen to them.

Co-parenting isn't just for little kids or teens, but for "children" of all ages, even when they leave the house and have kids of their own. Being a co-parent means that wanting to prove yourself right or better than the other parent is not part of the curriculum. It means that all adults involved in the lives of their kids do what they consider is best for everyone involved.

It requires a lot of self reflection, awareness of what is going on, and openness to alternative ways of interacting.
If you didn't get a chance to listen to an interview call with me on Sunday, February 28, 2010, then I invite you to visit the Co-Parenting Matters or you can listen to the interview call here!

If you can't see Audio Player, you might need Flash. You can download it here

Let me know what you think or share your comments with us.

By Annie Fox

Good ol’ Mr. Rogers knew what he was singing about when he was putting on his sneakers: “I mean I might just make mistakes if I should have to hurry up and so I like to take my time.” When he was home, I’m sure his kids got at least the same level of attention as he gave his shoe laces. To his credit, that guy could really focus on one thing at a time.

Recently I’m becoming more aware of how cranky, stressed and distracted I get when I try to do a whole lot of stuff at once. So I’m trying to slow down and zero in. But it ain’t easy. Admittedly, as I’m writing this I’m also picking remnants of chewed almonds from in between my teeth, answering email, tweeting, and squinting at this sentence as I wonder how long it will take for the eyeglasses I left in our hotel room in Elko, NV to make their way back here. (Soon please!)

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Stepfamilies are often in a bind when it comes to money. It's already tough to buy all that is needed when you're in a "traditional" family but when the same money that comes in needs to be divided to two different households, that's really hard and needs lots of creativitiy.

Often times, stepfamilies are starting over financially. The money that had been saved or accumulated in the past has now gone to pay for divorce bills and child support. Many times, little is left over to pay for any extras. Couples often complain about having fights and arguments about and over money. It creates lot of stress and tension not only for couples but for the children. They may feel that if they didn't ask for certain things, then the parents wouldn't fight so much.

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You may be wondering why sometimes you see me on Facebook or Twitter for many days in a row and then Pouf! I’m gone. Well I have to tell you, after having three engagement parties (Yes that’s 3, within 6 months), marrying my oldest stepdaughter in May and then having another wedding at the end of August and then in September, I’m getting a little out of breath.

Yes, we have another wedding. Stepdaughter #2 is getting married at the end of August in Montreal and we are really happy for her. As she is juggling her booming career, taking personal development courses and putting her soon-to-be-husband through University, she is in the midst of buy a condo and preparing to get married. So you see, we tend to be a family that doesn’t let much grass grow under our feet. Luckily my son’s wedding will be in a few years from now. Right?

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I was finally able to figure out how to post photos on my blog. So here is the link to view some of the photos of the wedding. As I get more of them, I will update this blog. Feel free to comment if you wish. Click here to go the blog.

Arrived in Florida. I just have a few things to say before I move on. People! I just need to let you know that while driving 22 THOUSAND POUNDS of moving metal, I will not be able to stop on short notice. So if you insist on cutting me off on the highway while driving at 65 miles an hour, I may not be able to brake in time and may squish you. I would have no other choice but to say "OH MY GOD!".

Now that I got this off my chest, I would love to say that I really love Florida. I really liked our campground called Everglades Campground in Miami. It's really in Homestead but technically in Miami. We are surrounded by farms or I should say plots of land that are used to grow home and garden plants, decorative palm trees and even a few mango and avocadoes groves.

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