Who Is Dr. Jann Blackstone, the Founder of Bonus Families?

Dr. Jann Blackstone is the founder of Bonus Families and the person who coined the term "bonus" as an alternative to "step" in family language. She specializes in divorce, child custody, co-parenting, and stepfamily mediation, and she is often introduced as the "Relationship Expert for Today's Relationships" because of what Bonus Families describes as her "real life, down-to-earth" approach to solving co-parenting relationship problems.

What she is known for

• Coining "bonus." According to Bonus Families, Dr. Blackstone created the term "bonus" — as in "bonus family" or "bonus parent" — over 30 years ago. Her stated reason was to address the negative connotations people associate with living as a stepfamily.
• Mediation and co-parenting expertise. Her professional focus covers divorce, child custody, co-parenting, and stepfamily mediation.
• Author. She has written many books on divorce and parenting. One title featured on the site is Co-Parenting For Dummies (paperback, listed at $24.99, with a pre-order price of $24.99, published by Wiley & Sons and also available at Walmart.com, Barnes & Noble, and Target.com).
• Media presence. She is described as a frequent guest or consultant on television and radio talk shows, including The Today Show (NBC), Keeping Kids Healthy (PBS), and The Oprah show.

Why the term matters to her work

The "bonus" framing is not just a softer word for "stepfamily." On the site, a bonusfamily is defined as technically a stepfamily, but one that does not depend on the parents being married. More importantly, "bonus" is described as a state of mind: it requires cooperation from all parent figures — including exes — for the sake of all the children in their care. Each family member has to commit to working together to reach bonus status, at which point step mom becomes bonus mom, step dad becomes bonus dad, and step siblings become bonus siblings.

Dr. Blackstone's reasoning, as stated by Bonus Families, is that "step" carries negative associations — wicked, evil, second best — illustrated by phrases like "red-headed stepchild," used to describe someone neglected, mistreated, or unwanted. The goal of the bonus model is to replace that old concept with one based in love, empathy, and respect for differences.

Where to find her work

Bonus Families is a non-profit organization offering help and support to divorced or separated parents and their combined families. The site points readers to its Ex-Etiquette articles for help with breaking up, starting up, and co-parenting — a practical entry point for anyone wanting to apply Dr. Blackstone's approach rather than just understand the terminology.