Want a great tip for deepening a friendship? It starts with you sharing you.
When someone is transparent we respect them a little more deeply. We admire their courage and feel like it’s safe to be around them. Stepfamily members can do the same thing. I’ve watched adult stepchildren share something personal with a parent’s new spouse, and somehow, it opens the door to friendship. I’ve seen stepparents endear their stepkids to them by sharing a story about a hard life-lesson that they learned. It takes courage to jump out there but that's where great relationships begin.