Stepfamily Conference
Stepfamily Conference hosted by ALEH Latina Organizazion in Israel.
Click Here to view the video of the conference.
Click Here to view the video of the conference.
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Last year Budweiser celebrated stepdads on Father's Day. Thank you Budweiser!
Stepfathers embark on a difficult journey when it comes to building a relationship with their stepchildren. Although there are often ups and downs, many stepchildren grow to consider their stepfather one of the most important people in their lives. So this Father’s Day, Budweiser is shining an unexpected light on fatherhood by toasting stepfathers who have risen to the occasion and owned their roles as fathers. Budweiser created a short film that documents heartfelt stories of three real stepchildren as they surprise their fathers by asking to be officially adopted. The film is a tribute to all fathers who step up for their families every day. Budweiser is inviting people to tell their stories of a father who stepped up. For every story shared, Budweiser will donate $1 to the Stepfamily Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports blended families*. To find out more about Budweiser, visit www.budweiser.com. From 6/12/19-6/16/19, Budweiser will donate $1.00 to the Step Family Foundation for each story shared on this social media post, up to $10,000. 
I can't say that this is one of the most common questions that I receive as a relationship coach, but it does come up enough that it needs to be addressed.
The question is from someone who has a basic knowledge of the concept known as Limerence. Here is my definition of Limerence: Limerence is a mental state that many people think of as "true love" or being "in love.” It is a scientific phenomenon and chemically-influenced state, primarily fueled by the chemical dopamine that is released by neurons in the human brain and plays a major role in the motivational component of reward-motivated behavior. (Coach Lee, "What is Limerence") Dr. Jeannette Lofas talks about the Stepmother's most difficult role.  Statistics are Staggering: The majority of families have shifted from the original biologically bonded mother, father and child. We are now a nation in which the majority of families are divorced. Most go on to remarry or form living together relationships. We are a nation of step-relating families.
These families take a multitude of forms: ● Divorced with children; the children reside with one parent and visit the other. Most are dating or looking for new partners. ● Remarried, re-coupled, living together, with his and/or her children; He/she is in the role of stepparent. ● Single Mothers; re-coupled, dating and alone. ● Divorced Dads; these dads generally visit their children. Often they are re-coupled, bringing a stepmother figure into their children’s lives. ● The divorced biological father whose children visit is not counted. These children do not legally "reside" with their fathers. So, neither government, nor academic research counts these fathers and their children as stepfamilies. Stepfamilies are not addressed, assessed and counted---further casting our society into: the loss of family traditions, like the family meal, the disintegration of parental roles, rules and values. The result a quagmire of "not-knowing." The numbers tell the story: The US Bureau of Census relates:
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AuthorJeannette Lofas, Ph.D, LCSW 
President and Founder of Stepfamily Foundation, Inc., Dr. Lofas has been managing stepfamilies for thirty years. In 1995 Lofas received a presidential award for her work. Research reports that she has an 84% success rate. A stepchild and stepmother herself, she is considered to be the leading authority on stepfamilies. Dr. Lofas has written five books: Living In Step, McGraw-Hill, Stepparenting, Citadel, How to Be a Stepparent, Nightingale Connant; He's OK, She's OK: Honoring the Differences Between Men & Women, and Tzedakah, Family Rules, Kensington Books.
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