Tips for talking about finances in a blended family

Financial issues even rank among the top five reasons for divorce in the United States. For my husband and I, it was important for us to get on the same page about our finances so our marriage didn’t end up as one of these sad statistics.

I’d love to tell you it was easy, but that would be a lie. While we were honest about our financial statuses, we only had the narrow perspective of a typical household or a stressed single parent. Managing our money as a blended family was a whole new ballgame.

Read this piece for a few tips from our lived experience as a blended household that we have learned along the way.

Jessica Janssen WolfordNovember 18, 2021Parenting, Co-Parenting, Step-parents, Finances, Blended Family

Divorced? You don't have to be friends to be good co-parents

While I am all about parents of all kinds — divorced or not — showing a united front for their kids, the reality is the public image is not what our children need. What's best for each family may be very different, but the principals of respect, good communication, consistency and reasonable compromise are the building blocks of a united front they really need. The external pressure of parents feeling like they should still stand on the sidelines together, sit in the recital hall side by side or attend parent-teacher conferences at the same time and place may not be the best choice in all situations.

Jessica Janssen WolfordNovember 2, 2020Omaha World Herald, Momaha, Divorce, Co-Parenting

COVID-19 Is the Worst, But I Want To Make the Best of This Time Together

Let me first say that the COVID-19 pandemic is a horrible, confusing, and challenging time for families across the globe. Each person, and family is facing unique and shared challenges that we could have never anticipated and are not prepared for. Our family is fortunate, and while my husband and I have had to wrestle with the impact of COVID-19 on our respective jobs, we still have jobs. While all of a sudden needing to coordinate new schedules within our blended family, and homeschooling three kids presents new obstacles, our family is healthy and we are together. We very clearly recognize and acknowledge our privilege during this time.

I'm going to share something that's possibly horrible to say during this time of a global pandemic: I'm actually really enjoying a number of unexpected realities of having to stay at home, and I don't want to take these opportunities for granted.

Jessica Janssen WolfordApril 17, 2020Blended Family, Co-Parenting, COVID-19

How I'm Dealing with Divorced Co-Parenting During a Pandemic

I’d love to meet the attorney who had the foresight to write divorced parents a parenting plan addendum for a global pandemic. I’d happily buy you a drink.

The harsh truth, though, is that no one has been prepared for this coronavirus pandemic and the effect it’s had on raising kids.

Divorced parents are in a particularly sticky situation. I have yet to encounter a divorced or blended parenting decision that is easy to navigate — and the coronavirus pandemic is no different. Unless you or your legal representative had a crystal ball, I’m willing to bet your plan didn’t cover unintentional homeschooling, quarantine or shared custody in a time of social distancing.

Mine sure didn’t.

Jessica Janssen WolfordApril 15, 2020COVID-19, Co-Parenting