Summertime Can Sparkle With Blended Family Fun

Blended families face the summertime challenge of juggling multiple camp and vacation schedules, while merging additional children into the daily mix. Often, the blended family includes toddlers as well as tweens or teenagers from a prior relationship. It’s no easy feat meeting those disparate needs, much less while on vacation.

When my stepdaughter is with us for an extended period, it takes us a while to find our rhythm. We need to remember each other’s daily preferences. (Breakfast right away, or a half-hour after waking? Exercise in the morning and quiet time in late afternoon, right?)

But the effort is worth it. When she's sleeping in her bed, our family feels complete. Her dad and two little sisters sparkle. Even the air seems charged with extra energy. We swim, visit museums, play games, and find other ways to make our blended family fun.

Readers, what strategies and tips do you have for parenting kids of widely differing ages?

More:

• 10 Parenting Books for Blended Families
• How to Get Through the First Year as a Single Parent
• Movie Review of ``Yours, Mine, Ours’’

This post is my submission for this month's All About Parenting Blog Carnival. Check out the other posts about fun summer activities. Or please suggest new ideas we haven't covered.