This Is Us featuring author, coach, and entrepreneur Sharon Kelly discussing blended families.

Per the U.S. Bureau of Census, 1300 new stepfamilies are formed each day. Forty percent of families in the U.S. are blended with at least one partner having a child from a previous relationship before marriage. The number of kids living in blended families has been stable for nearly thirty years. Children of Hispanic, Black, and white backgrounds are equally likely to live in this type of family. A little over a generation.

You will increase your chances of successfully bonding with your new stepchildren by thinking about what they need. Age, gender, and personality are not irrelevant, but all children have some basic needs and want that once met, can help you establish a rewarding new relationship.

My guest at the Frankly Speaking table today is, like all of you, a phenomenal woman. She is like many of you a wife, a mother, entrepreneur, coach, inspirational speaker, and author. She is raising two young authors who recently had their first book signing at Barnes and Nobles. She has abundant faith, a can-do attitude, and a commitment to service. She will walk us into a space that Frankly Speaking has not intentionally explored as a topic before.

Take a listen, learn things, and be inspired.