Amazon Category:  Relationships Publisher: Bantam Dell ISBN-10:  0553803212 Type: Non-Fiction Pages: 304 Copyright: October, 2004 How to successfully blend and extend your family once remarried with children. Drawing on extensive interviews and new research, ReMarried with Children, shows how to navigate the stresses, sticking points, pitfalls and perils most couples don't even anticipate, including how to: Meet your children's and stepchildren's needs--without letting them undermine your new marriage Understand the new roles, new rules, and new relationships for children and stepchildren of a blended family Deal with angry and/or manipulative exes--without adding fuel to the fire Handle key decisions about finances, religion, traditions, behavior and discipline Maintain healthy relationships with your children's grandparents--and other relatives--from a previous marriage Recognize warning signs of trouble ahead--and get the help you need

Publishers Weekly
If mothers-in-law have a difficult reputation, then step-children could give the devil a run for his money. At least that's the gist of this helpful, but disturbing look at the modern-day Brady Bunch. More than half of American families now fall into the category of blended/extended families but the clans profiled by LeBey (Family Estrangements) suggest that most are nowhere near as happy-go-lucky as the ones portrayed on TV. Indeed, most of the titular 10 secrets that LeBey recommends revolve around handling the emotions and behavioral problems of children. LeBey counters conventional wisdom by recommending that couples put their new marriage first, ahead of their chidlren's feelings. Only then, she says, will their union survive the maelstrom of cold shoulders, rebellion and even incestuous relationships that erupt in children of newly blended families. LeBey is no stranger to these perils herself having weathered a remarriage and family blending nearly 30 years ago. She speaks of her experiences infrequently, however, preferring to rely on the advice of Psychological studies, clergy, marriage counselors, teachers and other specialists. LeBey does inject a dose of sharp humor among her tips, and her book is peppered with lists (e.g. How Do YOu Know If YOu're Dealing with a Lunatic Ex-Spouse?" and "Ten Traps for Prospective Stepmothers"). But most of the book's value lies in its many anecdotes of families who've survived their new incarnations; merely reading about the problems overcome by many should be reassuring to anyone working on an extended family. And while the couples featured are mostly dealing with the outcome of divorce, the chapter devoted to widows, widowers and grieving children is both compassionate and useful. Highly Recommended.