MTV Los Angeles Casting Producer Needs Step Family

If you're in a blended or step family in the Los Angeles area- read on!  MTV is now casting for "The Stepfamily Project."  They are looking for families that have kids between the ages of 14-19 years old and part of a blended family, or about to become a blended family.

Here's more information: 

Are you between 14 and 19 years old and a part of a family that is about to blend or move in together?  Does the whole concept make you want to scream?  Really?  Then let’s have some fun documenting the craziness!

• Is your mom or dad about to get (or recently got) married? 

• Are you used to having things your way and you won’t be able to deal?

• Are you and your step around the same age and you compete over everything?!!

• Are you guys moving, heading to a new school, trying out for the same team or being forced to get along?

• Is your mom or dad at their wits’ end, watching all of the chaos between you guys?

Our show will be told from YOUR point of view as you document all of the funny stuff, annoying stuff and never-ending drama that’ll go on in your new life with the Steps!  Armed with a flip-cam, this is your chance to show the audience that it’s not so easy to blend into a new family!  The parents are along for the ride, too, as you’ll show us how they react to you and your Step trying to figure it all out.

Share a room?  No way! Move to a new school? Unthinkable! 

Go on vacation with her?!  We must be kidding!

 If you’re ready to haves some fun as you settle into an unfamiliar world, we want to hear from YOU!

For more info send us photos and an email describing your story!  We want to know about your personality, your issues and your family dynamic!  Give us the scoop on your situation and tell us why this show could be just what your family needs!

CONTACT:

Jean Arthur

Casting Producer

(626) 535-0868 x 288

To apply for the show send your story to:

Stepfamilycasting@mikemathisprods.com

To be considered, you must live in/around the LA area

The Blended and Step Family Resource Center has opened a Charlotte, North Carolina office

 
The Blended and Step Family Resource Center has opened an office in Charlotte, North Carolina

The Blended and Step Family Resource Center is excited to announce the opening of a new office in Charlotte, North Carolina.  The office will be located at 6135 Park South Drive, Suite 510, Charlotte NC 28210.

Shirley Cress Dudley, director of The Resource Center will be offering face-to-face blended and step family coaching at this location.  Children and teenager groups will also be offered in the next six months.
Ms. Dudley is a licensed professional counselor, with a master’s degree in marriage and family counseling, and a master’s degree in education, the internationally known author of Blended Family Advice, and has years of experience as a  step mom.

“Due to multiple requests, The Blended and Step Family Resource Center will have a bricks and mortar location in the south Charlotte area. We will be able to coach blended and step families and also offer support groups for parents and kids.  Telephone coaching and the online resources will be available to those outside of the Charlotte area,” states director Shirley Cress Dudley.

About The Blended and Step Family Resource Center:
The Blended and Step Family Resource Center offers a free monthly newsletter, along with podcasts, webinars, articles and a reader’s forum.

Statistics:
Approximately 2,100 new blended families form every day in America. More than 20+ million Blended Family households exist today and that number grows daily.  The blended family is now the most common form of family unit in our nation.  130+ million Americans are either in or have been in a blended family of some form (through re-marriage, adoption, foster home, etc.)  60% of second marriages end in divorce. (Statistics taken from the American Blended Family Association and population and census records.)


Contact Information:
Shirley Cress Dudley, director
Telephone:  704-541-1225
Address: 6135 Park South Drive, Suite 510
Charlotte, NC 28210 
Shirley@BlendedFamilyAdvice.com

What's the difference in coaching and counseling?

My wife and I need some help with our blended family. We see that you offer coaching, and we really need some counseling- we think. What's the difference?  We just need some help!


The best example I can think of is an adult playing softball, a Saturday afternoon, with the company softball team.  He/She strikes out, repeatedly, and basically has a terrible experience that day. Counseling would talk with this person about the experience:  "How did striking out feel?" " What memories of your childhood did it bring to mind?" 
 
Although these are great questions, and I highly value counseling, this is not what we do at The Blended and Step Family Resource Center. We do coaching.  Coaching is more direct and solution oriented: "Hold your head down a bit, and look at the ball; raise your elbow as you hold the bat...."  
 
Do you see the difference?  Both are great, but blended and step families need help now, and we're here to direct and guide you, to be your coach, with our proven experience and knowledge, to successfully guide your blended family.

Shirley Cress Dudley, MA LPC
Director of The Blended and Step Family Resource Center

Need a counselor in Charlotte for your stepfamily?

Are you looking for a counselor in Charlotte, North Carolina for your stepfamily?  Having problems with your blended family and need some local help?  Help is here!

The Blended and Step Family Resource Center has opened a location in Charlotte, North Carolina. We are located across from South Park on Park South Drive. Below is the address:

The Blended and Step Family Resource Center

6135 Park South Drive

Suite 510

Charlotte, NC 28210

Available hours for coaching are Tuesday afternoons and Thursday mornings- at this time. Call 704-541-1225 to schedule an appointment.

Shirley Cress Dudley is the director of The Blended and Step Family Resource Center, an LPC (licensed professional counselor) with masters degrees in education and also marriage and family counseling.  She also has personal experience as part of a blended family and being a stepmom. She understands the many issues for blended and step families.

Moved in together and having trouble in our blended family

A blended family mom asks:

My boyfriend and I moved in together about 6 months ago and we are having problems related to my kids. He doesn't feel like he can talk to me about the kids, and is having trouble figuring out what his role is with them.

We've been together for several years, and want to figure this out. Any help you can provide would be appreciated.

Shirley Cress Dudley responds:
It’s tough when a couple move in together and they aren’t married. The kids are confused, family and friends are also sometimes confused because the stepparent status is not official. But- in reality- your boyfriend is the stepdad in the family now. It’s important to talk to your kids and tell them that you have created a new family, and your boyfriend is a co-parent in this family.

Establish some house rules and guidelines for your new family- like respecting all adults in the home, and expectations for the kids (keeping their areas clean, being polite and friendly to all family members, etc.) Also use this opportunity to create some new, fun family traditions.  What you are doing, is teaching your kids that this is a family, and how they should act in this new family. As you and your boyfriend develop these house rules and new traditions together, it will also help him see that he has an important part in this family as a co-parent.

I encourage the biological parent to enforce the rules, and let the step parent focus on developing relationships with the kids. That doesn’t mean that your boyfriend can’t correct the kids- he should say something if they disobey one of your family rules (the ones developed by you and your boyfriend.)  But- you should enforce the consequences.

There are several articles on the site (and a section in the book) that will help with this. So- the main tip I can give you is that you are a new family, with two adults co-parenting your children now. It’s time to develop the expectations for this family, and help your children grow accustomed to the new situation. 

You can look through the website Http://www.TheBlendedandStepFamilyResourceCenter.com and read the many articles about blended families- this will help your situation.   Purchasing the book, Blended Family Advice, is also an inexpensive way to get help.

I wish you lots of luck. Blended families are tough, but you’ve been together several years, so it’s really worth the effort.

Kindest Regards,
Shirley

Shirley Cress Dudley, LPC
Sdudley4@carolina.rr.com
Founder of The Blended and Step Family Resource Center