Growing Up Without Dad: How Our Childhoods Still Shape Us
This week on Blended, Kate Ferdinand is joined by co-hosts Cilla and Nathalie for a powerful and deeply personal episode. For the first time, the ladies speak not from the perspective of parents but as the children of single-parent homes.They open up about how growing up without a father in the house shaped their understanding of love, trust, and family. From not knowing how to have a platonic relationship with a man to struggling to understand how your husband can love you without conditions they open up about the emotional impact of growing up in homes where love looked different.Cilla gets emotional as she reflects on how certain moments from her past still leave her feeling disappointed and hurt and how that has shown up in her adult life and relationships.The trio also discuss how they’re doing the work to break generational cycles, raising their own children differently, and learning that healing can happen at the same time as parenting. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
--------
53:30
Left Out Of The Big Moments: How Do You Handle Being Excluded?
This week on Blended, Kate Ferdinand is joined by Cilla and Nathalie to unpack a dilemma that hits deep for many stepparents — feeling left out, even when you’ve been fully present. A listener shares that she wasn’t invited to her stepdaughter’s birthday party, which is being held at the mum’s house, and it's left her feeling sidelined. She’s been a part of her partner’s daughter’s life for 3 years and thought their bond meant more but now she’s questioning her place in the bigger moments.The trio reflect on the unspoken boundaries of blended family life. Should you expect to be welcomed into someone else’s safe space, like their home? Or is it fair to suggest neutral locations or even host your own celebration?The ladies explore whether we expect too much too soon as stepparents, or whether exclusion from big milestones like birthdays and school events says more about unresolved tensions between adults. They also dig into how confrontation gets a bad wrap especially for women and why speaking up isn’t about ego, but about protecting your peace.Follow @blended on Instagram to share your story. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
--------
43:32
Money, Power & Blended Families: Are You Paying Without a Say?
This week on Blended, Kate Ferdinand is joined by co-hosts Cilla and Nathalie to talk about one of the most emotional and overlooked issues in blended families — money.The conversation is sparked by a dilemma from a stepmum who financially supports her partner’s children but feels completely shut out of the decision-making. With talk of private school on the table and no voice in the conversation, she’s left wondering: am I being manipulated, or is this just part of being in a blended family?They dive into the uncomfortable but necessary questions: Should financial contribution equal a say in parenting decisions? and Where’s the line between support and exploitation?The trio reflect on the emotional costs that go beyond finances especially when step-parents raise children they have no legal rights to. From wills and inheritance to guardianship and long-term planning, they unpack why these conversations matter so much more in blended families.One big question the group debates: Should parents leave different amounts to different children, based on what they’re already receiving from their other biological parent? Is fairness always equal or does it depend on circumstance?Follow @blended on Instagram to share your story. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
--------
38:08
Loving Bio Kids and Step Kids the Same: Is It Possible?
On this episode of Blended, Kate Ferdinand is joined by co-hosts Cilla and Nathalie for a tough but necessary conversation about something many families silently struggle with the different ways love can show up for biological and stepchildren.This honest discussion is sparked after Kate asks her stepdaughter Tia to send a voice note sharing how she feels compared to her younger siblings and opens the door to one of the biggest debates yet.They explore a powerful question: What is love? Is it a feeling, an action or both? And if you don’t feel the same for all your children, what can you do to make sure none of them feel left out?They discuss how factors like living arrangements, age, time, and even permission to parent can all affect how love is shown and felt. When 1 in 3 families in the UK are blended, this is not a niche issue it’s a growing reality for so many.The trio explore what happens when you don’t feel the same bond with your stepchildren and how you can still show up for them with care and consistency. They unpack the pressure stepmums often face to “love like a mum,” while also being told not to overstep.Follow @blended on Instagram to share your story. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
--------
38:11
Staying Together After the Break-Up: Can You Separate Without Shattering the Family?
In this week’s episode of Blended, Kate Ferdinand is joined by Cilla and Nathalie for one of the trickiest dilemmas they’ve tackled yet. A listener shares her story of planning to separate from her husband after years of being together but they’ve decided to carry on living under the same roof until their children turn 18.Why? Because she’s terrified her son might choose to stay with his stepdad instead of her. It’s a heartbreaking situation that raises a huge question: can you separate without shattering your family?The ladies explore the emotional weight of “staying for the kids,” and debate whether that decision protects children or simply delays the damage.They reflect on research that shows children thrive in two-parent households and dig into how breakups affect kids no matter which parent leaves, highlighting that mothers can also be the ones who disrupt the home, not just the dads.The trio share how they’d feel about having a stepparent now, as grown women, and the impact childhood trauma can have on how we move through relationships as adults and reflect on how their own upbringings in single-parent homes shaped their views.Follow @blended on Instagram to share your story. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted by Kate Ferdinand, this podcast is a celebration of blended families - exploring the stories of relationships bound by love, no matter what their circumstances are. Covering subjects such as second marriages, divorce, grief and life after loss, adoption, fostering and (not-so-wicked!) stepmothers, Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
UK