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.

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Blended, Kate Ferdinand is joined by co-hosts Cilla and Nathalie to dive deep into what really happens when kids are raised across two homes with different sets of rules.

Cilla explains the real difference between co-parenting and parallel parenting, and why understanding the difference can save families a lot of conflict.

Kate, Cilla, and Nathalie each open up about their own parenting styles, how they set rules, maintain structure, and handle boundaries in their homes.

The trio also explore whether softer or stricter parenting styles actually get better reactions, and whether having different rules really confuses children long-term or if kids are more adaptable than we give them credit for. They also reflects on how children sometimes adapt their behaviour depending on which parent they're talking to and how kids can even learn to play parents off against each other when the rules aren't aligned .

If you’ve ever struggled with mixed messages, different expectations, or feeling like you're parenting in two completely different worlds, this episode is a must-listen.

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In this special episode, Kate Ferdinand is joined by her husband Rio and co-host Cilla to explore what it’s like to navigate blended family life from a male point of view.

This week’s listener's dilemma asks: “Do I have to end my marriage if he won’t accept my child?” — sparking a deep and emotional conversation about loyalty, love, and the hard choices many blended families face.

The trio also tackle adult children moving back home, how it affects family dynamics, and what happens when one partner struggles with a stepchild returning to the household.

Rio shares his honest take on fatherhood, why men sometimes struggle to express how they feel, and why “firsts” in blended families can hit differently for men.

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.