Rachel G. Scott's Blog, page 5
February 13, 2018
It’s all in the details
Photo by Kathryn Rodnick
Cody likes ketchup on one side of his sandwich, mayonnaise on the other.
AJ like barbecue sauce and he no longer likes a sandwich to be cut in half.
Alayna like ketchup or barbecue depending on the time a day-always ask what she wants on her sandwich.
I have found that one of my most significant assets as a stepmom has been my ability to store things to memory.
This was the first way I connected with my step-kids and began to show them that I cared.
Packing school lun...
February 11, 2018
What Parenting a Teenager has Taught Me as a Stepdad
Photo by Halfpoint Collection
Raising children is a challenge.
If you are reading this, you likely are raising children in a blended family. Our family has children at various life stages. We have a 17-month-old who is committed to climbing everything she can and a son who is about to turn three, who is very clear about what he does or does not want. My wife’s eldest is 20 and raising her first child, while her second is 13 years old and painfully enduring middle school drama.
When we got mar...
February 6, 2018
When Its Hard to Love
Photo by Lifestock
Flowers, balloons, hearts, candy…Yes, it’s February and all things Valentine’s Day. You can barely go anywhere right now without being bombarded with romantic cards and chocolate candy in heart shaped boxes. But what if you aren’t feeling all of this love?
What if your patience has been worn thin?
What if your kids’ arguing is about to drive you over the edge?
What if your spouse doesn’t handle something exactly the way you would like him to?
In times like these we...
February 4, 2018
Love the Ones You’re With
Photo by Pressmaster
I always say that I fell in love with my stepson first – which at times has made him giggle, roll his eyes (tweenager) and now as an adult, my boy just grins impishly. Falling in love with my husband next should have been expected: the most attractive thing about this man is the kind of dad he is to our two kiddos. Crazy as I am about my two boys, my stepdaughter has been the sweetest surprise from day one. I actually didn’t know she existed until our first date, and from...
January 30, 2018
The New Has Come!
Photo by Odua Images
“ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV
Isn’t it funny how a certain word will keep showing up in your life? For me, this word has been NEW. It has popped up in Scripture, in blogs I follow, and in books I am currently reading. Now, I absolutely love new beginnings. A new year always feels like a fresh start to me. It feels like a second chance. As a classroom teacher I e...
January 28, 2018
Your Stepchildren Are NOT Your Children?
Photo by ptnimages
About two years ago, my husband lost his custody battle and was only granted partial custody of his three children. They now live with their mother 80% of the year. This decision was troubling to say the least.
It often seems that when the children are not with us, they tend to be exposed to challenging situations. Many times our weekend visits start off with us handling issues such as school, health or concerns at home. Some of these issues have caused me to question the...
January 24, 2018
Priorities in Perspective!
Photo by Monkey Business Images
Roger and I met online. The first time I heard his voice was in a recording he sent me of Lydia (who is four and has the cutest little cartoon mouse voice) reciting the books of the Bible, in order, from Genesis to Revelation with just a few prompts from him.
As I write this, the four of us are gathered on Roger and my bed as he goes through the books of the Bible with the kids again, as he does frequently. Sometimes I participate. Sometimes I just watch. As...
January 21, 2018
Be The Change Your Blended Family Needs
Photo by LifeStock
January always brings with it a flurry of resolutions, ranging from healthy eating habits and exercise goals, to personal and professional growth. Like me, I’m sure you can easily identify where you would like things to change – but the follow-through is a bit more complicated.
Do you make New Year’s resolutions for your family?
Let me ask that a different way: do you cast vision for your family for the upcoming year? Start by asking yourself what’s working well, and...
January 16, 2018
How Understanding God’s Fatherhood Nature Can Help You Blend Your Family Better
Photo by Rido
Having children in my life has completely wrecked me!
I’m a constant pendulum swinging between tears of utter joy, experiencing life with my children, to tears of heartache when I think of all of the children who are alone, neglected, and abused. But it wasn’t always this way.
I was a stepmom first. I came into the lives of three very broken and hurt children- one of which was too young to know or remember what it is like to have her biological parents living together. Coming...
January 9, 2018
How To Make 2018 More Than Just A New Year for Your Blended Family!
Photo by Yuganov Konstantin How does your blended family bring in the New Year? Do you celebrate by having a family filled day of finger foods and movies? Does everyone do their own thing?
How can you make this More Than Just A New Year for Your Blended Family ?January is a natural beginning, a new year, a new month. An exciting opportunity to eliminate the gunk that built up on you and your blended family last year.
To have a beginning, one must have an ending.
My season of raising...
