Monthly Archives: July 2025

Blending families



Whether as a result of divorce, widowhood, or other circumstances second marriages often face the prospect of combining families.   Where children are involved this is a delicate and potentially difficult proposition but also one that can be rewarding and a significant improvement for all involved. The results turn on how well the prospective partners relate to and communicate with their children in the months/years prior to combining their households and families.  Alvean and Doug take on this tricky subject with lots of good counsel for all concerned, parents and children. For a full transcript, click here: LL09


When the woman makes more



It has become increasingly common to find that traditional gender roles in the household are no longer –well, traditional.   Who is the primary housekeeper, parent, breadwinner?  It isn’t always what one might expect which raises some questions about how best to navigate the relationship when the traditional roles no longer apply.  For many men, being the stay at home father/homekeeper is a delight but for others it is a challenge when one’s spouse or partner makes more.  And it isn’t limited to men and women–the same inequity questions can crop up in same sex relationships as well.  That’s in part because money often is viewed as power affecting the balance of the arrangement.  Alvean and Doug talk about this perceived inequity and related questions in this episode, a complete transcript of which is available here: LL08


Am I too Picky



Perhaps a friend has said it–maybe it was you: Where are all the good  (men/women), I just can’t find the one.  If you have any self awareness this should lead you to ask the question: Am I Too Picky?  You may not be, or you just might but failing to ask the question is an all too common mistake.  Let’s face it, we dream of finding the ideal person–and once we get to know our intended we no sooner begin to notice the small or larger issues -things we want to change or in extreme cases cannot abide. Are we setting our sights too high, are we unrealistic or is there really a dirth of good people from whom we might choose?  For answers to these questions listen to Alvean and Doug discuss ways to identify your expectations and understand whether they are realistic or otherwise. For a complete transcript of this episode, click here: LL07