Building Love Together in Blended Families

The 5 Love Languages and Becoming Stepfamily Smart

By: Gary Chapman, Ron L. Deal

Narrated by: Chris Lynch

Length: 4 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's Summary

Create a Loving and Safe Environment for Your Blended Family 

Blended families face unique challenges, and sadly, good intentions aren’t always enough. With so many complex relationships involved, all the normal rules for family life change, even how you apply something as simple as the five love languages. 

That’s why Gary Chapman, the best-selling author of The Five Love Languages and national expert on stepfamilies, Ron Deal, join together in this book to teach you how the five love languages can help your blended family. They’ll teach you: 

• About the unique dynamics of stepfamilies
• How to overcome fear and trust issues in marriage
• How to develop healthy parenting and step-parenting practices
• How the love languages should - and should not - be applied

You’re going to face many challenges, but with the right strategies and smart work, your family can be stronger and healthier together.

©2020 Marriage and Family Life Consultants, Inc, Ron L. Deal (P)2020 Marriage and Family Life Consultants, Inc, Ron L. Deal

Helpful Advice!

I was able to pick up some new pointers that im going to start right away. It makes sense and im excited to see the results.

There a little bit of religious connections and statements but if that doesn’t bother you, I’d read
it

For Straight People Only

This book is for religious heterosexual couples in heternormative relationships. Some decent advice, but limited and prescribed to the context of "love languages."

Excellent Start to Understanding How to Blend Fami

Easy read, not complicated. Good analogies to understand and remember concepts. Both authors worth reading.

such a great read

this book has helped me understand but also looking forward to keep leading my blended family in love.

Fantastic book for insight and encouragement for blending families

This book provides many great real life examples and situations that you may be experiencing in your struggle to blend your family together. I keep referring back to it and taking more from it as I listen again in times of difficulty and needing some advice. Truly helpful to give you the understanding of what everyone is going through and ability to see different perspectives. I still have much work to do on my part but I’m grateful I found this book to help me as we “slow cook” our family into a great blend of flavors that we can all enjoy.

Great advice, solutions ..... direction...

Greeaaat!!!!!!! Helpfull.. smart 🤓 ways strengthening, inspiring, comforting, mending, direction, spiritual, with The Lord all is possible. Gives you courage and happiness 😊.

Wish I listened to this before my relationship

Great book a lot great advise. I wish I got it before failing at my blended family.

Well Worth Listening To & Applying To Your Blended Family

This book provides great insights on the 5 Love Languages and how they correlate to blended family dynamics.

It’s important to note that a child’s primary love language may be received differently from a stepparent than from all others. This is often due to their role as a stepparent; not necessarily their personality.

For example, let’s assume a child’s primary love language is quality time. By spending quality time with a stepparent (i.e. going to a movie), the child may reflect on the absence of their biological parent, and have a sudden change of emotion and/or behavior. What would normally be a wonderful experience (possibly even requested by the child), turns into a sour event due to no fault of the stepparent.

Thanks to Gary & Ron for sharing their wealth of wisdom in this book!

Just what we needed

I appreciated the explanations and depths of love discussed in this book. It's very comforting to know that a lot of my fears/reactions as well as my husband's and our children's were normal. I grew so much in understanding of our family. I think this is also a great book for those who struggle to understand emotions. You can learn what to do even when you don't understand, like learning a new language.