Blended Family Breakthrough

Resources
Episode 208. The Transfer of Power:  A Smart Strategy for Stepparents Left in Charge
Episode 204. 4 Facets of Stepparenting:  Defining Appropriate Roles and Responsibilities
Episode 108. 3 Unity Breakers that are Detrimental to Your Connection and How You Can Avoid Them
Episode 230. Everyday Decisions, Big Tension:  The Hurtful Patterns That Create Blended Family Division
Episode 167. Achievable Strategies to Make Your Marriage the Foundation of Your Blended Family
Episode 183. What's the Difference between "coupleness" and "familyness" and why does it matter?
Episode 77. 3 Unique Differences That Make a Blended Family Marriage Challenging
Episode 141. Can my kids be emotionally harmed by blended family dynamics?
Suggest a Topic or Ask a Question  
Would you like us to discuss something specific or answer your question on the show?  Let us know!
We've made it easy.  Just click here:  https://www.blendedfamilybreakthrough.com/share
Ready for some extra support?
We all need some extra support along the blending journey — we're here to help.  You can connect with us for a free coaching call to see how we might help you experience more clarity, confidence, and connection in your home.  Schedule your free call here:  https://www.blendedfamilybreakthrough.com/free-call
You don't need to navigate blended family life alone.  Join our supportive community where you'll connect directly with us and other couples just like you who are intentionally investing in healthy blending strategies.  Click the link to find out how to join: https://learning.blendedfamilybreakthrough.com/blendingtogether
Subscribe or Follow the Show 
Click here to subscribe on YouTube
Click here to follow on Apple Podcasts
Click here to follow on Spotify
Leave a Review in Apple Podcasts
If you’re feeling extra helpful, we would be so grateful if you left us a review over on Apple Podcasts too. Your review will help others find our podcast — plus they’re fun for us to read too! :-)  Just click here to Review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and then select “Write a Review” — let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is.  Thank you, we really appreciate your feedback!

The holiday season is supposed to be filled with joy and meaningful family memories. But when you're blending a family, competing traditions, conflicting expectations, and complicated relationships can quickly turn this special season into a source of tension.
We've experienced these challenges ourselves, and we know how difficult it can be to balance everyone's needs and stay united as a couple.
In this episode, we're joined by marriage therapist Zach Brittle for an insightful conversation about navigating blended family challenges, especially during the holidays.
Zach offers helpful perspectives on how couples can stop fighting over competing preferences and start building a new family culture together. We explore two surprisingly simple questions that can transform how you approach holiday decisions, along with the importance of managing your own emotions and negotiating as a team.
You'll also discover why healthy conflict can actually strengthen your relationship and how to recover when your holiday plans don't go as expected.
Our hope is that you'll move through this holiday season with less pressure, greater unity, and more meaningful connection.
About Zach Brittle
Zach has spent nearly 20 years teaching, coaching, mentoring, and counseling couples. He is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), a Certified Gottman Therapist (CGT), and a Relational Life Therapist. Zach is the host of Marriage Therapy Radio and the author of the bestselling relationship guides The Relationship Alphabet and The Marriage Therapy Journal. His work has been featured in Vanity Fair, Men’s Health, Real Simple, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. Zach has been happily married to his wife, Rebecca, for 25 of their 28 years together. They live in Seattle with their two adult daughters.
You'll Discover:
Why competing traditions and unspoken expectations create so much holiday tension in blended families.
Two powerful questions to help you clarify your priorities, make better decisions, and create meaningful holiday memories.
How to negotiate differences with your spouse, recognize parenting blind spots, and build a stronger parenting partnership.
Why creating a new family culture requires flexibility, collaboration, and consideration for everyone's perspectives.
How emotional maturity and healthy conflict repair can strengthen your marriage, even when things don't go as planned.
Resources from this Episode:
Zach Brittle's Website
Marriage Therapy Radio Podcast
Stuff I Write — Zach's Substack
Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes — Zach's upcoming book, releasing April 6, 2027.
Ready for some extra support?
We all need some extra support along the blending journey.  You can connect with us for a free coaching call to see how we might help you experience more clarity, confidence, and connection in your home.  Schedule your free call here:  https://calendly.com/mikeandkimcoaching/freesession
Subscribe or Follow the Show 
Click here to subscribe on YouTube
Click here to follow on Apple Podcasts
Click here to follow on Spotify
Leave a Review in Apple Podcasts
If you’re feeling extra helpful, we would be so grateful if you left us a review over on Apple Podcasts too. Your review will help others find our podcast — plus they’re fun for us to read too! :-)  Just click here to Review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and then select “Write a Review” — let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is.  Thank you, we really appreciate your feedback!

Resources
Click the link for helpful Co-Parenting Episodes:  https://www.blendedfamilybreakthrough.com/podcast/category/Co-Parenting/#filter
Episode 213. Discover How to Better Understand and Connect with Children of Divorce [with Lauren Reitsema]
Episode 229. The Heavy Burdens Kids Carry:  Loyalty Binds, Parental Allegiances, and How to Help
Episode 232. 5 Principles to Manage Contact Between Homes and Promote Your Child's Wellness
Episode 161. How do Healthy Parent/Child Roles Help Avoid the Pitfalls of Parentification? [with Ron Deal & Lauren Reitsema]
Suggest a Topic or Ask a Question  
Would you like us to discuss something specific or answer your question on the show?  Let us know!
We've made it easy.  Just click here:  https://www.blendedfamilybreakthrough.com/share
Ready for some extra support?
We all need some extra support along the blending journey — we're here to help.  You can connect with us for a free coaching call to see how we might help you experience more clarity, confidence, and connection in your home.  Schedule your free call here:  https://www.blendedfamilybreakthrough.com/free-call
You don't need to navigate blended family life alone.  Join our supportive community where you'll connect directly with us and other couples just like you who are intentionally investing in healthy blending strategies.  Click the link to find out how to join: https://learning.blendedfamilybreakthrough.com/blendingtogether
Subscribe or Follow the Show 
Click here to subscribe on YouTube
Click here to follow on Apple Podcasts
Click here to follow on Spotify
Leave a Review in Apple Podcasts
If you’re feeling extra helpful, we would be so grateful if you left us a review over on Apple Podcasts too. Your review will help others find our podcast — plus they’re fun for us to read too! :-)  Just click here to Review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and then select “Write a Review” — let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is.  Thank you, we really appreciate your feedback.

Moving between two homes is simply part of life for many kids after a divorce. Have you ever stopped to consider how much physical and emotional energy each transition requires?
Kids may be shifting between different routines, expectations, relationships, responsibilities, and environments, all while keeping track of clothes, schoolwork, sports gear, electronics, and everything else that needs to travel with them. Even when kids have healthy relationships with both parents, constantly adjusting can be exhausting. 
We know this personally. When Annika moved between our home and her dad's, we didn't always recognize the toll this took on her. Sometimes our excitement to reconnect actually created more pressure when what she really needed was time and space to settle in.
In this episode, we’re inviting you to see regular transitions through your child’s eyes. What can look like irritability, withdrawal, forgetfulness, or resistance may actually be a child trying to manage the emotional and practical strain of moving between two different homes. When we understand what may be happening beneath the behavior, we can respond with more empathy, reduce unnecessary pressure, and create a smoother landing as kids move from one home to the other.
The goal isn't to make everything "perfect". It's to pay attention to your individual child and ask what helps them experience greater stability, security, and freedom while living between two homes.
You'll Discover:
Why frequent transitions between two homes can create more stress for kids than adults sometimes recognize
How connection before correction can help when kids arrive home irritable, withdrawn, resistant, or disrespectful
Why lowering the pressure and practicing a little "subdued excitement" can give kids room to settle before reconnecting
How biological parents can manage their own sadness with goodbyes without creating emotional burdens for their kids
Practical ways to reduce the stress of clothes, school supplies, sports gear, electronics, and other belongings moving between homes 
Resources from this Episode:
Episode 84. How to Cope With Sadness, Anxiety, and Longing While Your Kids Are Gone
Episode 226. How Two Homes Raise Kids that Thrive: A Co-Parenting Blueprint for Caring Parents [with Jay & Tammy Daughtry]
Episode 168.  Actionable Steps For Helping Kids Navigate Through Difficult Emotions and Problem-Solve
Episode 222. Step-by-Step Guide:  Facing Painful Pushback Without Making Things Worse
Episode 223. The Emotion Coaching Playbook:  Handling Pushback and Building Trust
Episode 229. The Heavy Burdens Kids Carry:  Loyalty Binds, Parental Allegiance, and How to Help
Episode 210. Is Your Child Pulling Away?  Here's How to Respond with Wisdom and Love
Episode 103. 4 Revealing Myths About 1 on 1 Time Between Parents and their Bio-Kids 
Ready for some extra support?
We all need some extra support along the blending journey — we're here to help.  You can connect with us for a free coaching call to see how we might help you experience more clarity, confidence, and connection in your home.  Schedule your free call here:  https://calendly.com/mikeandkimcoaching/freesession
Subscribe or Follow the Show 
Are you subscribed or following the podcast yet?  If not, we want to encourage you do that today so you don't miss a single episode.  
Click here to subscribe in Apple Podcasts
Click here to follow on Spotify
Click here to subscribe on YouTube
Leave a Review in Apple Podcasts
If you’re feeling extra helpful, we would be so grateful if you left us a review over on Apple Podcasts too. Your review will help others find our podcast — plus they’re fun for us to read too! :-)  Just click here to Review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and then select “Write a Review” — let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is.  Thank you, we really appreciate your feedback!

Resources
Building Love Together in Blended Families by Ron Deal and Gary Chapman
Suggest a Topic or Ask a Question  
Would you like us to discuss something specific or answer your question on the show?  Let us know!
We've made it easy.  Just click here:  https://www.blendedfamilybreakthrough.com/share
Ready for some extra support?
We all need some extra support along the blending journey — we're here to help.  You can connect with us for a free coaching call to see how we might help you experience more clarity, confidence, and connection in your home.  Schedule your free call here:  https://www.blendedfamilybreakthrough.com/free-call
You don't need to navigate blended family life alone.  Join our supportive community where you'll connect directly with us and other couples just like you who are intentionally investing in healthy blending strategies.  Click the link to find out how to join: https://learning.blendedfamilybreakthrough.com/blendingtogether
Subscribe or Follow the Show 
Click here to subscribe on YouTube
Click here to follow on Apple Podcasts
Click here to follow on Spotify
Leave a Review in Apple Podcasts
If you’re feeling extra helpful, we would be so grateful if you left us a review over on Apple Podcasts too. Your review will help others find our podcast — plus they’re fun for us to read too! :-)  Just click here to Review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and then select “Write a Review” — let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is.  Thank you, we really appreciate your feedback!