Preparing yourself and your loved ones doesn't circumvent every possible problem, but it helps.
For most of my young adulthood I seemed to stumble head first into every situation that came my way. Planning wasn't on my radar, I was a "fly by the seat of my pants" kinda gal. Living as such didn't come without consequences and eventually I got sick of "paying the piper" for my lack of decision making and planning skills and decided to take a more mature approach.
Planning does not prevent unexpected things from happening, but it does help you deal with lif'e's "monkey wrenches" a little more effectively. At the very least you can assure yourself that you did everything you possibly could to make a difficult situation easier by being aware.
Children depend on their parents to make well thought out, if not perfect, decisions regarding their lives and living circumstances. If the parents are not occupying the drivers seat in the planning and decision making process, the family will surely careen out of control, plummeting headlong through one unanticipated mishap after another.
Do yourself and your children a favor and plan before making big decisions. Visit our discussion forum to share your experiences as a blended family.
