How to Foster Positive Relationships With Stepchildren According to the Journal of Demography, 37% of married couples have at least one stepchild. Despite the prevalence of the stepparent/stepchildren relationship, it is often not as harmonic as it could be. Stepparents can play a vital role in the development of young children and Plan Ahead You and your partner must be on the same page when parenting stepchildren. Taking a hard stance in the opposite direction can confuse and undermine your partner’s authority. You should CREATING A HAPPY FAMILY
cooperate when deciding how to discipline and care for the children and what boundaries to set. If you go in without a clear plan, you are planning for disaster. The last thing you want is for your parenting to drive a rift between you, your partner, and your stepchildren. Listen and Reinforce Be an active listener, and try repeating some of what you see and hear. Make it clear you are listening and understand where your stepchild is coming from. If they can rely on you to listen, they will be more open to talking to you and building a rapport. Moreover, take strides not to badmouth their biological parent — you want to be a positive influence. You won’t better your relationship with your stepchildren by worsening their relationships with others. With these tips, you can improve your standing with your stepkids and foster a more powerful and positive relationship as you move forward.
be positive role models to teens as well. As your relationship with your stepchildren grows, so will your relationship with your partner. Here are some tips to help you form a more positive relationship with your stepchildren.
Grow Comfortable When first introduced into a stepchild’s life, you often have to
circumvent some initial animosity and awkwardness. This is normal. It may take a little while for your stepchild to warm up to you and build a rapport between you. Find things you have in common. Try to get to
know them and be attentive to their hobbies and interests. However, it’s important not to come on too strong. You don’t want your stepchild to feel pressured to get along with you, so let them decide the pace and follow their lead.
PEST OF THE MONTH Combatting Stubborn Weeds Weeds are a common nuisance for homeowners, especially in Arizona’s warm climate, where they can thrive year-round. These uninvited guests can quickly take over lawns, gardens, and driveways and can be difficult to manage due to their quick growth and stubbornness. Moxie Pest Control offers a variety of solutions to combat weeds and keep your yard looking pristine. Our services include preventive treatments to keep weeds from sprouting and reactive solutions to tackle existing weeds. With our help, we can customize a weed control plan that fits your property’s specific needs.
INSIDER OF THE MONTH Caitie’s Journey to Empowered Gym Ownership
Meet Caitie, the proud owner of Empowered Lifestyle Training & Nutrition. She’s a Mesa native, born and raised, who went from a Stapley Sabercat to a Mountain View Toro and finally graduated as an ASU Devil. Caitie is a pro-women’s physique bodybuilder, a mom to three pit bulls, a girlfriend to the coolest guy in town, and a coach trying to show people that this isn’t a 60-day fad diet; it’s a lifestyle.
Caitie started in the fitness industry at 16, working in child care at Mountainside Fitness. She eventually left 10 years later as a General Manager to branch out as a trainer and gym owner. She opened Empowered in March 2020 — impeccable timing, but she weathered it. The gym specializes in private one-on-one personal training, small group strength classes, total-body boot camp classes, nutrition coaching, and gym memberships for those who are over the big box gym chaos. Empowered also offers online training/programs for those who are not in Arizona or are too far away to make it to our training and classes.
Tips to Maintain Weed Control Between Treatments
Mulching: Apply a thick layer of mulch in garden beds and around plants to suppress weed growth and retain soil moisture. Hand Weeding: Regularly inspect your yard and pull weeds before they can spread seeds. Proper Watering: Water your lawn and garden appropriately to strengthen desired plants and make it more difficult for weeds to thrive.
Be sure to check out Caitie and Empowered on Instagram at @caitiecanacakosfit
(480) 400-2847 | 3
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator