Blended

A Look Into My World: Releasing my Blended Books!

Hi guys, I’ve got something very exciting to share with you today, it’s been a long time in the making, but I’m so excited to say that my brand new book ‘How To Build a Family’ is out tomorrow - I can’t quite believe it!<br><br>How to Build a Family is a nurturing handbook that I wish I’d been given when I started out my journey in a fully blended family. As well as my experiences, and those of other blended families, it has advice and tips from experts you’ve heard on the show like Julia Samuel and Lisa Doodson. My goal in writing this book is to encourage, inspire and support families everywhere.<br><br>In today’s podcast I also talk about my other new book ‘The Family Tree’ which will be coming out on the 8th of June (quite the author I know). The Family Tree is a reassuring picture-book adventure that will help blended families feel seen and celebrated, offering gentle conversation starters for the youngest readers.<br><br>I hope you find these books refreshing and useful, as always thanks for your amazing love and support, I can’t wait to hear what you think of them!You can pre-order both books by clicking on the link here: <a href="https://bio.to/KateFerdinand" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://bio.to/KateFerdinand</a><br><br>If you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow <a href="https://www.instagram.com/blended/?hl=en" rel="noreferrer noopener">@Blended</a> on Instagram.<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Learning to Parent in Your ’Second Life’ With Grace Victory

Today’s episode of Blended is with content creator, author, mother and in her words survivor, Grace Victory. <br><br>In December 2020, Grace was seven months pregnant when she was diagnosed with a severe case of Covid. Grace was taken into emergency care and their son Cyprus was delivered via C-section. Hours after giving birth on Christmas Eve, Grace was put in a voluntary coma to treat her Covid. Months passed and Grace’s condition declined, Doctors only gave her a 5% chance to live. <br><br>Remarkably though Grace has made a full recovery.<br><br>Grace talks about re-learning how to live after a coma, missing your son’s first few months of life and being kind to yourself in the aftermath of traumatic events.<br><br>Grace’s story is one of trauma, adversity and pain but also one of hope, defying the odds and getting a second chance at life. <br><br>If you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow <a href="https://www.instagram.com/blended/?hl=en" rel="noreferrer noopener">@Blended</a> on Instagram and you can pre-order my book How To Build A Family here <a href="https://lnk.to/HowToBuildAFamily" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://lnk.to/HowToBuildAFamily</a><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

A Look Into My World: Holidays, Hospitals & Baby Brain

Hey guys, I thought now might be a good time to update you with what’s been going on in my world because believe me it’s been chaotic. The headlines are holidays, hospitals and a whole lot of baby brain.<br><br>I’ve also been getting loads of questions from you guys about how we’re getting on with potty training Cree and as you’ll hear, it’s been an interesting experience…<br><br>I love checking in with you guys and just letting you know what I’ve been up to, I hope it’s relatable or at the very least you can have a laugh at my expense!<br><br><br>If you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow @Blended on Instagram and you can pre-order my book How To Build A Family here <a href="https://lnk.to/HowToBuildAFamily" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://lnk.to/HowToBuildAFamily</a><br><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Advice from Dr Martha's Talking Sense Podcast

Raising kids is no small feat and I think most people listening in will be able to relate. Whether you are part of a Blended family or not, this messy, yet beautiful, chapter we call childhood is FULL of questions, worries and concerns and sometimes all you want is a bit of support so that you can feel more comfortable supporting your kids in return. <br><br>With the new baby on the way, I’ve been encountering a lot more questions so I thought why not go back to parenting expert Dr Martha Deiros Collado who has got such a refreshing, calm, and empathetic way of tackling big subjects for some advice.<br><br><br>And that's what I did, so today I’ve got 3 of my favourite bits from Dr Martha. This advice is actually from her podcast - <a href="https://podfollow.com/1633092453" rel="noreferrer noopener">Taking Sense</a> - which provides a thought provoking lens on child behaviour that all parents witness and see every day and find ideas to support you and your child. <br><br>It's honestly so great, and a little bit like Blended, it helps bring you closer to other parents who have similar concerns.<br><br>The advice discussed on today's episode are from the following episodes of Talking Sense, which you can listen to here:<br><br><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/how-do-i-prepare-my-child-for-a-new-sibling/id1633092453?i=1000601769243" rel="noreferrer noopener">How do I prepare my child for a new sibling?</a><br><br><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/when-can-we-expect-our-childrens-big-outbursts-to-stop/id1633092453?i=1000578379604" rel="noreferrer noopener">When can we expect our children’s big outbursts to stop?</a><br><br><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/how-to-deal-with-others-judgement-of-our-parenting/id1633092453?i=1000584461647" rel="noreferrer noopener">How to deal with others' judgement of our parenting?</a><br><br>I hope you find this mini-episode as useful as I have! If you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow <a href="https://www.instagram.com/blended/?hl=en" rel="noreferrer noopener">@Blended</a> on Instagram.<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Growing Up with Foster Siblings and Becoming a Single Mother with Lydia Bright

Today on Blended, we’re joined by the lovely reality TV star, Lydia Bright.<br><br>For pretty much all of Lydia’s life she’s been part of a Blended family. Her Mum Debbie and Dad Dave fostered over 250 children across 27 years, as well as having 3 biological children of their own meaning the Bright household was always a busy place to be!<br><br>Lydia’s now a single mother herself, raising her three year old daughter Loretta.<br>This chat focuses on both the Blended sides of Lydia’s life, the amazing and challenging experiences of growing up with foster siblings and becoming a single mother during a pandemic.<br><br>If you're a single parent or considering fostering, the experiences and advice Lydia shares in today’s episode is just invaluable.<br><br>If you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow @Blended on Instagram.<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Blending Families Harmoniously and Co-Parenting with Rickie Haywood-Williams & Natalie Harman

Today’s episode of Blended is all about positive co-parenting and the process of blending two families with the hilarious Rickie Haywood Williams and Natalie Harman.<br><br>You may know Rickie from TV and Radio, he currently presents a Radio 1 show alongside Melvin Odoom and Charlie Hedges, but chances are you haven’t heard of his partner Natalie who remains out of the spotlight, this was her first time doing a podcast but you’d never know!<br><br>Rickie and Natalie met three years ago and after a successful period of dating they decided to combine their families. Both Rickie and Natalie have daughters of a similar age from previous relationships, and the four of them have Blended in the last couple of years. Last August Rickie and Natalie added to their family and had baby Cruz, their first child together.<br><br>Rickie and Natalie discuss all the topics that so often come up in parenting: How to navigate discipline and how to make sure you carve out time with your partner. <br><br>They also give some great advice on maturity to make co-parenting a harmonious process.<br><br>This episode is full of laughs, it’s a really heartwarming story that shows Blended families can bring so much joy!<br><br>If you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow <a href="https://www.instagram.com/blended/?hl=en" rel="noreferrer noopener">@Blended</a> on Instagram.<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Blending a Family from Rio Ferdinand's Perspective

Today we have a very familiar face on Blended in the name of ex-footballer and more importantly my husband, Rio Ferdinand.<br><br>Rio finally comes on the podcast for a full episode to talk about how the family has changed from his perspective over the years.<br><br>Rio also discusses growing up in a blended family, both of his parents finding new partners and how his upbringing impacts the decisions he makes as a parent himself today.<br><br>There’s also a lot of banter in this episode, you can say what you want about Rio but he holds his hands up when he’s in the wrong and there’s a lot of laughs because of it!<br><br>This conversation also shows a side to Rio you may not have seen before and gives a real look in to the inner workings of our family - both the happy times and challenging!<br><br>If you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow <a href="https://www.instagram.com/blended/?hl=en" rel="noreferrer noopener">@Blended</a> on Instagram.<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Leaning Into Joy While Managing the Fear, Navigating Pregnancy After Loss

Something we place a lot of importance on in the Blended community is being really open and honest with our feelings and that’s exactly what we are in today’s episode with grief expert, loss author and CEO of the charity The Mariposa Trust (widely known by its primary support division ’Saying Goodbye’,) Zoe Clark-Coates MBE.<br><br>As you may remember from her last episode on Blended, Zoe has lost five babies, but her ability to take the positives and honour life from these experiences is so inspiring.<br><br>Zoe shares some great advice and tips from her book 'Pregnancy After Loss', including how to prepare for scans, coping mechanisms for stress and managing the joy and the fear of being pregnant after loss.<br><br>Click here for more information on Zoe’s Charity ’Saying Goodbye’ https://www.sayinggoodbye.org/ and find her on Instagram at @Zoeadelle.<br><br>If you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow @Blended on Instagram.<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Planning Solo Parenthood with Liv Thorne

This week on Blended we have an inspiring conversation on single parenthood with author of the book ‘Liv’s Alone: Amateur Adventures in Solo Motherhood’, Liv Thorne. When Liv Thorne was in her twenties, and single, she would joke to friends that if ‘Mr Right’ didn't come along she'd have to take matters into her own hands and have a child on her own. When she was still single in her thirties, it stopped being a joke and she started researching sperm banks and fertility clinics. Having chosen donor sperm from a bank in Denmark, her first three attempts to conceive via natural IUI failed. Liv had said to herself that she would try 4 rounds of IUI before she would undergo the more invasive (&amp; expensive) route of IVF. Happily, and somewhat surprisingly, it was her 4th round of IUI that resulted in a successful pregnancy. Liv gave birth to her son on her Dad's birthday who sadly died when she was 12. Her Dad had always called her Little Herbert, which is why her longed for son is called Herb. Liv gives us a really honest account of what it's taken to create her family through sperm donation, the financial burden, and how you need to be especially kind to yourself if you decide to start a family solo. As always, these conversations show that there’s no ‘normal’ way to raise a child, the main thing is to show them support and love. If you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow @Blended on Instagram.<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

A Look into My World: Rio and I Reflect On Mother’s Day

Today’s episode of Blended is all about Mother’s Day, an event which can mean so many things to different people. That’s why for today’s episode I really wanted you to hear my husband Rio’s perspective on this day. Rio and I talk about how our family has changed over the years and how our emotions of grief evolve around Mother's Day as time goes on. Rio will describe himself as not having massive highs and lows in his emotions but he’s really getting better at voicing his feelings especially around grief, and our takeaway message as a family is do what feels right to you. We decided not to put this episode out on Mother’s Day so you can listen in the build up, afterwards or whenever feels right for you. If you're struggling this Mother's Day, please be easy on yourself, the greatest bit of advice I've got was from Julia Samuel, just turn your phone off and try to enjoy the day. If you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow @Blended on Instagram.<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Taking Time for Yourself to Benefit Your Family; Advice from Emily Samuel

After her advice went down so well with you guys at Christmas, we decided to invite child psychotherapist and co-host of the ’Therapy Works’ podcast Emily Samuel back to Blended to answer your questions. It can be really easy to get caught up in our emotions and everything can seem a little bit overwhelming in parenthood, but Emily gives simple and actionable advice to use. We cover a range of topics including: dealing with grief, divorce, and how we can best support neurodiverse children (and for any parents currently experiencing the terrible two’s, I ask Emily how to deal with those tantrums too!) If you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow @Blended on Instagram.<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Why Everybody’s 'Normal' is Different with Lisa Timoney

Today on Blended we welcome author Lisa Timoney. Lisa has written 3 novels, including ‘Her Daughter’s Secret’ and ‘Her Mother’s Lies’, stories that are centred around Blended family setups. Lisa was adopted at a young age alongside her elder adopted sister owing to her adopted parents’ fertility problems. Lisa’s adopted parents are now divorced, putting her in the unique position of having 3 sets of parents, although she’s not reconnected with her biological parents who had her as teenagers. Lisa is passionate about changing the stigma around adoption and this episode reflects Lisa’s really positive outlook on being adopted, detailing a life filled with love and nurture. Lisa’s story is a really encouraging one, and the main takeaway should be that everybody’s normal is different, which is the epitome of coming from a blended family. If you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow @Blended on Instagram.<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

A Look into My World: Rio and I Reveal our Baby’s Gender

I have a very special guest today on Blended… finally my husband Rio has agreed to join me! This is because we’re so excited to announce the gender of our baby with you all. It was great to sit down with Rio and relive the chaotic way we found out for ourselves. As Rio says “it was a typical Ferdinand household gender reveal, it went wrong!” as you’ll hear for yourself… Rio and I laughed so much making this, we hope you enjoy listening to our little family update as much as we enjoyed recording it! If you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow @Blended on Instagram.<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

The Importance of Embracing Heritage with Adrienne Herbert

Today’s episode of Blended is all about celebrating and understanding different ethnicities within Blended families and discussing how we can become the most authentic version of ourselves. Adrienne Herbert’s life centres around positivity and motivation. She’s the host of the Power Hour podcast, a TedTalk speaker and one of the UK’s leading wellness professionals, but her story hasn’t always been easy. She grew up one of four siblings in a single parent household and being one of the elders, she helped her mum raise her younger siblings which meant she had to grow up pretty quickly. Growing up Adrienne’s father was distant, the only member on her Dad’s side was her Grandma but she lived a few hours away meaning she never had the chance to understand her Jamaican heritage. Living in a predominantly white northern town with a white mother with little knowledge on black hair or culture left Adrienne often feeling like an outsider. This all changed when Adrienne moved to London age 16 where she began the journey to better understand herself. She now has her own blended family, her son Jude is interracial and Adrienne has made sure he has the education about his heritage that she never had. Today’s chat is all about embracing your true self, educating and celebrating our cultural differences and advice for parents raising interracial children, enjoy! To become part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram.<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

The Rewarding Reality of Fostering with Caz and Britney

TW: This episode covers matters related to drug abuse and eating conditions. So please be kind to yourself if that feels too close to home. Today’s episode is for anyone who may be considering the option of fostering, has already taken the leap and needs some advice or simply wants to learn more about the processes and experiences of fostering a child. Our guests are mother and step-daughter duo Caroline ‘Caz’ Bullivant &amp; Britney Coole. Caz welcomed Britney into her home when she was 12, and despite a rocky start, these two are now thick as thieves, so much so that Britney, now a mum herself, says Caz was the person who truly showed her how to be a mum. Caz, talks us through the reality of being a foster mum and shares some really inspiring nuggets of wisdom around the ‘best’ way to create a connection with your foster children. On the other side of the coin, Britney shares her experiences growing up and explains the emotional journey of foster care. This conversation is an example of both the heartening and challenging aspects of fostering. If you would like more information on the requirements and processes of fostering, check out the links below. To become part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram. Information on Fostering: At the end of 2022, there were more than 80,000 children in care in the UK. It's expected that this number will rise to more than 100,000 over the next three years, which means more foster parents are desperately needed to provide children with love, nurture and support. Anyone can be a foster parent - you just need to have love to give, and a spare bedroom at home. Foster parents are provided with a fostering allowance to enable them to financially support the young people in their care, plus ongoing training and support, enabling them to provide the best care possible. Fostering People have been supporting vulnerable children since 2000, in Scotland, the north east, north west, West Midlands, east of England and Yorkshire. You can find out more about becoming a foster parent with Fostering People here: https://www.fosteringpeople.co.uk/ You can read more about Caz and Brit's story here: https://www.fosteringpeople.co.uk/resources/fostering-stories/foster-parent-stories/cazs-fostering-story/ For more information on fostering and its importance, the UK's leading foster care charity The Fostering Network has lots of information: https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/ The government provides information on fostering too: https://www.gov.uk/becoming-foster-parent<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Roxie Nafousi Opens Up on How To Form a Positive Co-Parenting Relationship

Trigger Warning: Themes of addiction are discussed in this episode. Today on Blended we have the brilliant author, self development coach and queen of manifestation, Roxie Nafousi and today's episode is all about building positive co-parenting relationships. Roxie and Wade are no longer together, but are passionately committed to staying great friends and being the best co-parents they possibly can be. They’ve gone against the status-quo and written their own rules on how to co-parent which includes holidaying together and a new approach to splitting the time they share with their son, Wolfe. Roxie has also navigated a tricky past, struggling with various addictions, self-worth insecurities and post-natal depression, but discusses how her life completely turned around after she had her son Wolfe, who is her bundle of joy. This chat is packed with honesty and so much great insight and advice on how to create a positive co-parenting relationship that prioritises your children's happiness. To become a part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram.<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

How Loss Shaped My Blended Family with Emily Dean

Writer and Broadcaster Emily Dean is the author of the hit book ‘Everybody Died, So I Got a Dog’ and subsequently the hugely successful Times podcast ‘Walking the Dog’. Emily’s life turned completely on its head when she lost all of her close family in a 3 year period. First her older sister Rachael to cancer, closely followed by both her parents, leaving her as the key female figure to Rachael’s children and an orphan at age 45. This sudden change left Emily no choice but to clobber together her own Blended family consisting of her nieces, close friends and adorable Shih-tzu, Raymond. This is an emotional episode, a story of unconditional love, resilience and a tale of how loss forces you to step outside your comfort zone. I hope hearing Emily’s story inspires and gives you confidence for all of life’s unexpected challenges.<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

A Look into My World: A Personal Update

Hey everyone! I know I’ve been a bit quiet on social media lately, but I’ve received so many messages asking for an update on what’s been going on. Well… I have some big news to share with you all - I’m expecting another baby! I couldn’t be more excited, and I’m so glad I get to talk about this journey with all of you on these mini-episodes of the podcast. Sometimes when you share big news on social media, it doesn’t quite have the same impact as talking about it in person. That’s why I wanted to jump on here and share my thoughts and feelings with all of you. I’m really looking forward to the season ahead and continuing to share my journey with you all in these mini-episodes. If you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow @Blended on Instagram. Thanks for listening and I can’t wait to share more updates with you all!<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

How to Effectively Engage With Your Children with Dr Martha Deiros Collado

Welcome to a brand new season of Blended! In this episode, Kate speaks with Dr Martha Deiros Collado - a clinical psychologist specialising in science of childhood. Her mission is to make the science of psychology accessible to everyone which she does this so well on her Instagram and podcast Talking Sense. Dr Martha has such a refreshing, calm, and empathetic way of tackling big subjects - from how to manage anxiety to navigating tricky co parenting situations, as well how we as step parents deal with imposter syndrome and alienation. Dr Martha also answers the brilliant questions submitted from the blended community, and it's all just so helpful. Today's episode is all about actionable advice you can apply in everyday life with your family. To become a part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram.<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

BONUS: How I've Created New Traditions in a Blended Family

Wow there are just 4 sleeps until Christmas! To wrap up our mini-episodes I wanted to come on by myself to share with you all what my first Christmas was like coming into a Blended family and how our family has developed since. I share some of the new traditions we have created together and I’ve also got some quick practical tips which I found have helped me at times where things have got a little stressful, to help me enjoy the moment. This is a short and sweet episode which I hope leaves you feeling calm and ready for the days ahead. Thank you to each one of you for being part of the Blended community this year, together we are helping the world know that Blended families are beautiful. I hope you all have an absolutely wonderful Christmas and I look forward to seeing you in the New Year. To become a part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram.<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

BONUS: Managing the Expectations of Christmas with Emily Samuel

In the last of our Christmas minisodes, I sit down with a wonderful Emily Samuel, she's a child psychotherapist as she answers some of the questions you sent in that relate to your children's experiences of Christmas. We cover expectations of Christmas, managing children's behaviour, presents, and mental health around the Christmas period. These episodes are really short and sweet, but they're packed full of advice. Emily co-hosts the wonderful Therapy Works podcast with her psychotherapist mum (Julia Samuel) and sister (Sophie Samuel) - you can listen to Therapy Works here As always, we'd love to hear from you, so please do get back to me with your thoughts and feelings. So here it is, our blended minisode with Emily Samuel. To become a part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram.<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Navigating the world as a 'childless stepmum' with Alex Willumsen

On Blended today we have a very special guest, Alex Willumsen who’s story is one that so many people have been in touch about, and that’s being a childless stepmum.Alex Willumsen is a parent/step-parent of 11 years to two boys down in Brighton. We hear all about Alex's step parenting journey but also about her and her husband’s attempts to grow their family themselves. Alex is an amazing women and she feels that being a childless step mum is a unique and often overlooked experience and because of this, she started a support group called “Step by Step”- a group for supporting step family/blended life - some who have their own children and some who don’t. To keep up with Alex and her Step By Step group please see the website: Step by step - supporting step family life Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/435013954196017/?ref=share Sign up to the step by step newsletter by Contact email: stepbystepbrighton@gmail.com Information and support around womb cancer: https://peachestrust.org/ Meet others in the childless community: https://gateway-women.com/ To become a part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram.<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

BONUS: Tips for dealing with grief and loss during the festive season with Ann Chalmers

It’s nearly Christmas, a time filled with joy and excitement, but also a time that can be difficult for anyone dealing with the absence of a loved one. A few weeks ago, I reached out to you on the Blended socials and asked if you had any questions around Christmas. We were inundated with your questions, so I decided to host a short series of minisodes to offer advice to anyone struggling at this time of year. Ann has worked in bereavement for over 30 years and is the CEO of Child Bereavement UK, a charity of which I am proud to be a patron. In this minisode, Ann answers some of your questions about how to help children and young people deal with bereavement and loss throughout the festive season. These episodes are short and sweet and packed full of advice. Ann gives amazing and digestible guidance to families navigating loss at this time of year. You can also find a wealth of resources to help young people navigate grief at the Child Bereavement UK website. Link: https://www.childbereavementuk.org/ To become a part of the Blended community follow @blended on Instagram.<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

How being raised by a single mum has shaped me as a father with Babatunde Aléshé

Today’s guest on Blended is comedian, actor, writer and I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! star, Babatunde Aléshé. Baba joins me to talk about life growing up in a single parent home, and how his childhood was one of his biggest drivers in shaping his own parenting style. Baba’s Nigerian heritage and religion comes up too as it was a big pillar in his life overall which prompts a conversation about how to blend cultures in the family home. We also talk about strictness in the home which we have a good laugh about! It’s a conversation that takes so many great twists and turns. I just loved how much love and respect he has for his mum, and how he and his wife balance their culture in his home.<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

BONUS: Lisa Doodson Answers Your Christmas Questions

It’s nearly Christmas, a time which can bring so much excitement but also so much stress, especially if you’re part of a blended family. I reached out to you on the Blended socials and asked if you had any questions around Christmas: Be that grief, how to share the kids or anything else that’s causing you stress, and we were inundated with your questions. Today we welcome Professor Lisa Doodson back to Blended. She's an author and psychologist specialising in step-family dynamics. Today she answers some of your questions around splitting time over Christmas, making new traditions and the balancing act between bio and step families. These episodes are short and sweet and packed full of advice. As always Lisa gives some great tips and I hope it eases up the stress in the run up to Christmas. To become a part of the Blended community follow @blended on Instagram.<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Starting a family at 16 years old with Chloe Patton

Today on Blended I’m joined by star of Teen Mom UK, Chloe Patton. We had such a lovely chat about Chloe finding out she was pregnant at just 16 years old, starting a family as a teen, navigating rocky times with her partner Jordan and also being a part of a beautiful blended family.  Chloe's faced some really hard times along the way which were played out on the TV - going through postnatal depression and losing her nan and grandad - but has been so amazing in dealing with it all. Her outlook on life is so impressive - she is just so wise, strong and inspiring. Coming from a beautiful blended family herself, Chloe shares just how families come in so many different shapes and sizes - a message I couldn't agree with more. To become a part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram.<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

My Sister was our Surrogate with Brian Dowling

Today on Blended, I’m chatting to the phenomenal Brian Dowling - the Irish TV presenter who rose to fame after winning Big Brother in 2001 and Ultimate Big Brother in 2010. Brian has a beautiful new baby girl Blake with his husband Arthur and their journey to welcoming her to the world is a fascinating one. Brian’s sister Aoife was their surrogate - and Brian talks us through all of the expected, and unexpected highs and lows of surrogacy with your sister. This is such an entertaining but also informative, and emotional episode. Brian is so open about this complicated and beautiful topic and also about the traumatic sudden loss of his mother. This is a story of love, sacrifice and family. Brian says “Who you are is who your family are” - and you can really feel that today. To become a part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram.<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Embracing Imposter Syndrome as a Step-Parent with Fearne Cotton

Today on Blended, I’m chatting to the Amazing Fearne Cotton. Fearne is a well-known broadcaster, presenter, and host of the wildly popular podcast ‘Happy Place’. Today though, we are talking about Fearne’s role as a Mum. We talk about the huge shift that occurs when you become a parent, step or otherwise and how confidence really does come in waves, especially with being a step-parent. Fearne openly shares her thoughts on imposter syndrome, parenting and mental health and gives some great advice on how to embrace it all - the good bits, the bad bits and the difficult bits. It’s really a touching conversation, I can’t wait for you to hear it! To become a part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram.<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Does being a Step-Parent get easier over time? with Lynsey Hipgrave

Today on Blended we are joined by TV and sports presenter Lynsey Hipgrave. Lynsey’s blended journey began when she met her now husband Dan Hipgrave 16 years ago who already had a daughter from his previous marriage. Together we spoke about what it’s like coming into a blended family, the transition between part-time and full time parenting. We discuss the importance of creating stability and having good communication with both of the parents as well as how to shelter children from tabloid media and press when their parents are in the limelight. Lynsey’s overall message was that really you make your own family life and you do get your own routine and things get easier and better - which I think is such a nice message. To become a part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram.<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Blending Biological and Foster Families with Jimmy Akingbola

Today on Blended we have the wonderful Jimmy Akingbola. Jimmy is an actor and producer that currently plays the iconic Geoffery in the new rendition of The Fresh Prince, ‘Bel-Air’. Now living in the bright lights of Los Angeles, Jimmy returns home to the UK to reflect on how his upbringing shaped him in a moving documentary called ‘Handle with Care’. Jimmy takes us on an uplifting journey through his own experience as a child raised by parents of different ethnicities in foster care, how he processed abandonment and beautifully describes his blended upbringing, the difficult times and the better times. Considering the tough circumstances he was brought up in, he has an absolutely amazing outlook on his life, saying he has been blessed with two amazing families. Jimmy is an amazing role model for anyone who is in care or considering bringing a child into care and I’m so excited to share this episode with you all. You can catch Handle With Care on ITV Player, trust me it’s a must watch! To become a part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram.<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>