On today’s episode of the stronger marriage connection, Dr. Dave and Dr. Liz sit
down with author and expert on blended families, Ron L. Deal, to bring you the leading research, tips and tools about how to create successful step family relationships. If you are navigating remarriage and/or blending a family unit, join the conversation and learn what may help you on your journey!

About Ron Deal:
Ron L. Deal is one of the most widely read and viewed experts on blended families in the country. He is the director of FamilyLife Blended® for FamilyLife®, founder of Smart Stepfamilies™, and the author and consulting editor of the Smart Stepfamily Series of books including the bestselling Building Love Together in Blended Families: The 5 Love Languages® and Becoming Stepfamily Smart (with Dr. Gary Chapman), The Smart Stepfamily: 7 Steps to a Healthy Family, and Preparing to Blend. Ron is a licensed marriage and family therapist, popular
conference speaker, and host of the FamilyLife Blended podcast. He and his wife, Nan, have three sons and live in Little Rock, Arkansas. Learn more at FamilyLife.com/blended.

Insights:
Ron: Humble people who can make changes over time will deepen trust and intimacy in their relationship.
Dave: The process of family blending takes patience and time and understanding and love and kindness. Like an extra double dose of all of that.
Liz: All couples have struggles, but remarriages and stepfamilies have some unique struggles and challenges.

Invites:
   ●    If you are a dating parent, engage your kids in "what if" conversations. You could ask, “what if dad started dating again?” or “this guy has kids of his own, how would you feel if mom were to date him?”. This will help you make better decisions about when and where to introduce your kids to the person you’re dating.
   ●    Practice chasing the pain, as Ron Deal mentioned. Next time you are triggered by something your partner does, ask yourself “what is this telling me?” or “what is going on inside me and is there a better way for me to handle this feeling than I have in the past?”. Don't let the past invade your present.
   ●    Visit smartstepfamilies.com to discover more resources about step families and remarriage. Then share the website and what you learned with people you know who are in stepfamily relationships and would benefit from Ron Deal’s work.

Ron Deal Links:
- https://familylifeblended.com/blended 
- https://smartstepfamilies.com
- https://rondeal.org
- https://www.facebook.com/familylifeblended
- https://www.instagram.com/familylifeblended/
- https://www.youtube.com/@FamilyLifeBlended
- https://www.familylife.com/podcast/familylife-blended-podcast/

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