Merging families
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Armin Brott, Author, Dad & Radio Host, shares advice for parents who are merging their families together on having the right expectations to ensure happiness
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One of the most common family types these days is blended families. Two different people come together that already has kids, or one has and one hasn't. Whatever it is, you are trying to make a new family together.
If you are a dad and you are getting involved with somebody who has a couple of kids. Your natural thinking is going to be, "I want these kids to love me, and I want to love them too." Expectations need to be set in an appropriate place. The reality is that those kids may never love you, and you may never love them; no matter how hard you try. What you can hope for is some sort of mutual respect.
The key to that whole respect is going to be having expectations. The expectations need to be set between the two partners. The question is going to come up. How much discipline can I do with these kids? How much are they expected to listen to me? If someone is paying child support, is my money going to be going for child support? Questions that nobody ever wants to think about. You have to have those discussions, and keep the expectations as low as you possibly can. You want to go in and have high expectations, but keep them low and you'll be much happier.
Armin Brott, Author, Dad & Radio Host, shares advice for parents who are merging their families together on having the right expectations to ensure happiness
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Armin BrottDad, Author & Radio Host
A former Marine, Armin Brott has devoted the last 15 years to providing men with the tools, support, and knowledge to help them become the fathers they want to be—and their families need them to be. His seven critically acclaimed books for fathers have sold well over a million copies. Titles include The Expectant Father: Facts, Tips, and Advice for Dads-to-Be and The New Father: A Dad’s Guide to the First Year. He has written on fatherhood for hundreds of newspapers and magazines and is a frequent guest on such television programs as the Today Show. He also writes a nationally syndicated newspaper column (Ask Mr. Dad), and hosts a syndicated radio show (Positive Parenting). He lives with his family in Oakland, California.
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