When a child loses a parent, grief doesn't end for them. And when they join a stepfamily, we need to come alongside them with love and support as parents and stepparents as we honor their pain and memories. Ron Deal talks with Diane Fromme about what helps and what hinders, especially as stepparents with grieving stepchildren.
Fromme explains how a stepparent can never replace a biological parent and functions as an "and," not an "instead." Stepparents will likely face rejection, insecurity, and feelings of being an outsider; however, with humility and ongoing love and support, they can, over time, develop meaningful and significant relationships with stepchildren following loss.
Show Notes and Resources

183: Grief Triggers and Tender Triumphs: Happy Chaos in a Blended Family
48:57

182: Blended and Blessed book, Building Healing through the Beatitudes
46:19

181: Beauty in the Broken: A Kintsugi Approach to Blended Family Life
36:31