On this Focus on the Family broadcast, blended family expert and best-selling author Ron Deal describes some of the unique challenges that couples experience through remarriage and the formation of a stepfamily. These challenges start from the get-go with every remarriage being built on a foundation of loss and ambiguity – the loss of the previous marriage/family, and now the uncertainty of new roles/relationships within the stepfamily. Ron explains how it can help to draw a "family map" to identify the complex web of relationships with kids, stepkids, ex-spouses and their partners, and extended family. He also uses an analogy with a crockpot to illustrate how a slow and persistent "cooking process" helps stepparents and kids draw closer over time, as stepfamilies don't typically "blend" well or quickly. Ron offers practical advice for merging finances, establishing stepparent authority, and much more.

For more from Ron, check out his book Preparing to Blend: The Couple's Guide to Becoming a Smart Stepfamily.

If you'd like a digital download of this broadcast, you can get it here.