Building Love Together in Blended Families - by Gary Chapman & Ron L Deal (Paperback)

About the Book

Create a Loving and Safe Environment for Your Blended Family

Blended families face unique challenges, and sadly, good intentions aren't always enough. With so many complex relationships involved, all the normal rules for family life change, even how you apply something as simple as the five love languages.

That's why Gary Chapman, the bestselling author of The 5 Love Languages(R) andnational expert on stepfamilies, Ron Deal, join together in this book to teach you how the five love languages can help your blended family. They'll teach you:

• About the unique dynamics of stepfamilies
• How to overcome fear and trust issues in marriage
• How to develop healthy parenting and step-parenting practices
• How the love languages should--and should not--be applied

You're going to face many challenges, but with the right strategies and smart work, your family can be stronger and healthier together.

Book Synopsis

Create a Loving and Safe Environment for Your Blended Family

Blended families face unique challenges, and sadly, good intentions aren't always enough. With so many complex relationships involved, all the normal rules for family life change, even how you apply something as simple as the five love languages.

That's why Gary Chapman, the bestselling author of The 5 Love Languages(R) andnational expert on stepfamilies, Ron Deal, join together in this book to teach you how the five love languages can help your blended family. They'll teach you:

• About the unique dynamics of stepfamilies
• How to overcome fear and trust issues in marriage
• How to develop healthy parenting and step-parenting practices
• How the love languages should--and should not--be applied

You're going to face many challenges, but with the right strategies and smart work, your family can be stronger and healthier together.

From the Back Cover

"This book is a practical and empowering path forward for parents and children alike."
Lori Gottlieb, New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone

Blended families encounter unique challenges many do not anticipate. New relationships can disrupt family roles while triggering pain from past loss. Relationship expert Gary Chapman and stepfamily expert Ron L. Deal collaborate to demonstrate how the five love languages can help blended families build relationships that honor the past while looking to the future. Their insights address questions like:

-How do I focus on my marriage while helping my children adjust to a new family?
-How do I honor an adult stepchild who feels threatened by my presence?
-How do I build a relationship with a new stepgrandchild?

The dynamics of a blended family vary greatly from that of a biological family, so giving and receiving love is not as easy as it may seem. In Building Love Together in Blended Families you'll find strategies to care for yourself, your children, and your new marriage. Merging lives is challenging, but thoughtful hearts and commitment to learning will lay a foundation for your blended family to grow together.

About the Author

GARY CHAPMAN, PhD-author, speaker, counselor-has a passion for people and for helping them form lasting relationships. He is the #1 bestselling author of The 5 Love Languages(R) series and director of Marriage and Family Life Consultants, Inc. Gary travels the world presenting seminars, and his radio programs air on more than 400 stations. For more information, visit his website at www.5lovelanguages.com.

RON L. DEAL is one of the most widely read and viewed experts on blended families in the country. He is founder of Smart Stepfamilies(TM), Director of FamilyLife Blended(R) for Family Life(R), the author of numerous videos and books on stepfamily living including the bestselling The Smart Stepfamily, and is consulting editor for the Smart Stepfamily Series of books. Ron is a licensed marriage and family therapist, popular speaker, and host of the podcast FamilyLife Blended. He and his wife, Nan, have three sons and live in Little Rock, Arkansas. Find events and resources at RonDeal.org.