Yandy Smith’s latest children’s book, My Blended Family is not derived from a mere idea. The celebrity mom tells CEO Magazine that inspiration for her tale came from a very personal experience involving her children.
“We, of course, are in a blended family. My son’s older brother could not make it to his birthday party, because of a prior obligation with his mommy. My son was completely disappointed that his brother wasn’t coming to his birthday party. He was more distraught that his brother had a different mommy,” Yandy explains.
“I created this book for parents to have an easier way to explain to their children that some families are different, but they are still normal,” the star mom adds. “I wanted him to know that he is not alone. He is not the only kid who has siblings with different families or parents. He fell in love with the book, because the kids in the book look like him and his siblings. It is good to have books that have roles and characters your kids can relate to or look like them.”
My Blended Family is comprised of two stories in which the main character must cope with the notion of his older sibling having two families. “The family dynamic is like most families,” Yandy shares. “When the big brother goes home to his mommy’s house he talks to his little brother and tells him that he has to spend time with his other family. These situations happen in my family all of the time. This will help my son realize that his brother doesn’t love him any less.”
Communication, in general, is sometimes challenging in blended families because of the varying household element. “One of the biggest challenges is making sure communication is consistent across the board regarding everything from schooling to discipline to what you want your children to eat,” Yandy explains. “In my house, I treat every child the same whether I birthed them or not. When you are dealing with parents who are not in your household it can be challenging to maintain consistency.”
Still, even with a few bumps here and there, Yandy Smith wouldn’t trade any part of her blended family dynamic. “Develop your own love for the child,” she advises other stepparents. “I think that’s the most important thing. When you love the child there are a lot of things that happen naturally,” Yandy shares. “If possible, go to that parent’s house and try to learn what the routine is so you can duplicate that at your home. There’s a lot of compromise that has to happen.”
Learn more about My Blended Family here. Stay tuned for more Yandy Smith celebrity mom news!
