We know that pushback moments can sting. Eye rolls, refusals, accusations, or shutting down are all things kids in blended families can tend to do. It’s easy for parents and stepparents to appease, minimize, deflect, control, try to 'fix-it' or simply avoid pushback (we’ve done it too).

In this two-part series, we act as your guides and name the real struggle beneath kids' hurtful behavior: loss, grief, and fear that come with blending. Then we introduce a clear plan: Emotion Coaching.

You’ll hear real-life scenarios, why common reactions backfire, and what to do instead to help your child feel seen and supported. The win? A calmer home, stronger bonds, and practical steps forward.

The risk of doing nothing? Escalating conflict, shutdown, resentment, and power struggles. If you’re ready to respond to your child's pushback with calm, clarity, and care, this conversation is for you.

You'll Discover:

• The four common Pushback Predicaments: competing for love, accusations/threats, oppositional attitude, and loss & grief. And what’s really going on underneath.
• Why appeasing, minimizing, deflecting, defending, controlling, or avoiding often makes things worse, and what kids hear when we react in those ways.
• How Emotion Coaching helps kids identify and name big feelings, regulate their emotions, and become receptive to changing their behavior. Plus, the blended-family benefits (safety, trust, and respect).
• A simple reflection challenge to build awareness around your typical reaction patterns and your child’s reactions to your reactions, so that you can choose a better way to respond next time.

Continued Learning on this Topic:

• Episode 154. What practical and emotional shifts can you expect as you blend your family?
• Episode 213. Discover How to Better Understand and Connect with Children of Divorce [with Lauren Reitsema]
• Episode 159. How to Stay Hopeful as a Stepparent When You're Continually Rejected and Hurt
• Episode 37. Why do kids struggle to accept their stepparent?
• Episode 039. How to Create Strong Bonds with Resistant Stepkids

Ready for some extra support

We all need some extra support along the blending journey — we're here to help. You can connect with us for a free coaching call to see how we might help you experience more clarity, confidence, and connection in your home. Schedule your free call here: https://calendly.com/mikeandkimcoaching/freesession

Leave a Review in Apple Podcasts

If you’re feeling extra helpful, we would be so grateful if you left us a review over on Apple Podcasts too. Your review will help others find our podcast — plus they’re fun for us read too! :-) Just click here to Review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and then select “Write a Review” — let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you, we really appreciate your feedback!

Blended family couples often carry unprocessed pain and can slip into patterns of “autopilot", which fuels disconnection and discouragement.

Chad and Jdele Brignac know this firsthand. After merging their families, they hoped for “Brady Bunch” magic. Instead, they spent 17 years in deep grief and survival mode as unexamined patterns collided.

In this episode, we draw out their hard-won wisdom, which they share in their book Blend Don’t Break. After two decades of marriage, a turning point came when Chad realized and owned past mistakes, moved away from reactivity, and created space for their now-adult kids to be heard and known.

Their story shows that it’s never too late. With humility, curiosity, and lived values, any couple can restart healing, rebuild safety, and reshape their family legacy. No matter where they are in their blended journey.

Chad and Jdele are speakers and authors. Chad equips men to lead with self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and compassion. Jdele guides families toward healing and lasting connection. Together, they help blended families thrive, not just survive.

You’ll Discover

• Why grief and survival mode can mask deeper issues and how owning your part can reopen connection even years later.
• What “learned behaviors” look like in real life and how to move from overreacting to responding.
• How to replace vague ideals with actionable family values that everyone understands and can live out.
• The value of flexibility and trust, and how to increase family connection.
• The “unpack before you pack” idea and how to practically focus on what to hold onto, clean up, or leave behind from your past.

Resources

• Blend Don't Break by Chad and Jdele Brignac
• CLICK HERE to connect with Chad
• CLICK HERE to connect with Jdele

Suggest a Topic or Ask a Question

Would you like us to discuss something specific or answer your question on the show? Let us know!

We've made it easy. Just click here: https://www.blendedfamilybreakthrough.com/share

Ready for some extra support?

We all need some extra support along the blending journey — we're here to help. You can connect with us for a free coaching call to see how we might help you experience more clarity, confidence, and connection in your home. Schedule your free call here: https://www.blendedfamilybreakthrough.com/free-call

Subscribe or Follow the Show

Are you subscribed or following the podcast yet? If not, we want to encourage you to do that today so you don't miss a single episode.

Click here to subscribe in Apple Podcasts

Click here to follow on Spotify

Leave a Review in Apple Podcasts

If you’re feeling extra helpful, we would be so grateful if you left us a review over on Apple Podcasts too. Your review will help others find our podcast — plus they’re fun for us to read too! :-) Just click here to Review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and then select “Write a Review” — let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you, we really appreciate your feedback!

Suggest a Topic or Ask a Question

Would you like us to discuss something specific or answer your question on the show? Let us know!

We've made it easy. Just click here: https://www.blendedfamilybreakthrough.com/share

Ready for some extra support?

We all need some extra support along the blending journey — we're here to help. You can connect with us for a free coaching call to see how we might help you experience more clarity, confidence, and connection in your home. Schedule your free call here: https://www.blendedfamilybreakthrough.com/free-call

Subscribe or Follow the Show

Are you subscribed or following the podcast yet? If not, we want to encourage you to do that today so you don't miss a single episode.

Click here to subscribe in Apple Podcasts

Click here to follow on Spotify

Leave a Review in Apple Podcasts

If you’re feeling extra helpful, we would be so grateful if you left us a review over on Apple Podcasts too. Your review will help others find our podcast — plus they’re fun for us to read too! :-) Just click here to Review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and then select “Write a Review” — let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you, we really appreciate your feedback!