Blending Healthy Families Podcast

Words Matter.  Whether you're talking to yourself or your kids, words can impact their journey.  This week, we host our first guest and we talk about all things Words.  Words to ourselves, our clients, our kids.  And we share tips on where to start if you're hoping to empower your kiddos with your words, too! Let us know which tip resonated most with you!

When it comes to the holiday season, we already have enough to worry about. Don't let your step kids, ex wife or new in-laws cause any more.  This week on Blending Healthy Families, we tackle the Holiday Season: -How to overcome tradition fatigue -How not to feel like the “other woman” at family gatherings -How to budget your gift giving and finances with a blended mentality And on the blog, I share one of my favorite recipes that brings the holiday to your mouth. 

I've been working on this for months with my therapist.  In my mind, I *know* what to do to let go of my stepmom stress. Actually being able to was the problem. Catch this weeks episode, when we talk about FOUR ways to ease your anxiety and stress by letting go control in your blended family. 

Do you often get a place rather than a food item when you're asking your kids ideas for dinner?  In a blended home, the two (or more) houses may not know what the other one is cooking for dinner - or if they're even cooking! I give you a handful of my best tips on making dinner time less of a struggle, more fulfilling and how to avoid the multi-home stress. 

A day late and a dollar short - that's what life has been lately.    So it's only fitting that my first podcast in a month is a day late -  But definitely worth every penny! On this week's episode, I talk about what I learned from my recent meltdown, How I even knew I was heading down the wrong path, And, how to regroup and reset to show up best for your blended family! Take a listen to this weeks' episode and let me know your go-to regulation!

“Desire exists in the not having.” A simple quote by my beloved business coach can be applied to all areas of our lives.  This week on Blending Healthy Families, we talk about how to change our perspectives around our split schedule.  I give you ideas to cope with the negative thoughts and I give you permission to fill your cup in the process.  Take a listen to this weeks' episode and let me know what skills you use to cope when the desire to change your blended family's schedule hits!

My kids are picky eaters. Each house treats that differently based on how the parents were raised. And we were not raised the same way.  This week, I talk about how we deal with picky eating during the most stressful time of the week: The transition.  We touch on how to set up the transition, what meals to serve and other hurdles you may face and how to overcome them. 

On this episode we're going to hunker down on the mental health part of taboo. AND we're going to add a twist because I'm part of a blended family AND because I'm pregnant. Which kinda go hand in hand, but also adds a layer of mental health complexity to the family dynamic.  I'm going to lay some things out from the Stepmom perspective, the blended family perspective, then the kid perspective. I'm purposefully not talking about the ex and the dynamics there because that's not my identity and that could be a whole complete episode! 

In blended families, we all come from different backgrounds with different experiences - including the kiddos.  I wanted to break down the habits we use every day to help the kids feel welcomed into our home and give them that ability to take that compassion out into the world.  In this episode, we learn the difference:  **Equity: the quality of being fair or impartial; fairness; impartiality: something that is fair and just. **Equality: the state or quality of being equal. I believe this means not everyone gets the same thing, but that everyone gets what they need to succeed.  This can look like: Unfairness on the surface Unique discipline between siblings Level-setting between parents  Foundational marriage practices for the stepparent I also give you a great analogy to teach any kid claiming “Life's Not Fair!!” How do you handle the dynamics of your blended family to help everyone succeed?

Welcome to the Blending Healthy Families Podcast! I used to say that I didn't want marriage and kids before 30. I was very firm on that, to the point I remember sitting in Arnie's with my mom and my aunt crying because they were grilling me so hard on my decision.  When I came to the realization that I needed to move on, the doors opened to make our family more bonded over these dreams I had. And to realize that marriage and a family never took those dreams away. I did, by not shifting my mindset to believe both of these things can co-exist.  What preconceived wishes did you have before becoming a stepparent that you may need to let go of to really embrace the role you are trying to play?

Welcome to Blending Healthy Families! I'm Tricia Fitzl - stepmom to three beautiful children with one of my own, certified health and wellness consultant who loves tacos, and a Type A, external processor married to an introvert. In all my spare time, I work full time as a Video Production Office Coordinator..  Blending Healthy Families takes traditional parenting advice, blends it with research and experience, and gives you sustainable methods to keep your family healthy - no matter how you came together!  Visit us on Instagram @empoweredU for more tips, family shinanagins and a safe space where you can learn about blended family nutrition!