Hello Uzma, The Stepfamily Foundation has had great accomplishments in bringing stepfamilies closer together. Its founder, Jeanette Lofas, has clearly dedicated a significant part of her life towards this organization, having studied and counseled stepfamilies for forty years (Stepfamily Foundation, 2015a). The fact that 84 percent of Lofas’s clients are still together shows that her organization is doing something right when it comes to helping people overcome the challenges of divorce and stepfamilies (Stepfamily Foundation, 2015c). By providing certified counselors in twenty-two states who have received training in strengthening stepfamilies, the Stepfamily Foundation gives those considering creating a stepfamily the opportunity to
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Since most studies find that stepmothers have more difficulty with stepchildren than stepfathers because children tend to be closest with their biological mother, this resource provides stepmothers a place to connect with other stepmothers like them (Cox & Demmitt, p. 493, 2014). Stepmothers are often placed with many more demands than stepfathers as they are expected to fill the role of the mother as a nurturer and caregiver. However, this can become even more challenging if the stepmother does not get to see the stepchildren often (Ganong, Coleman, & Jamison, p. 411, 2011). Furthermore, since stepmothers tend to have less time than stepfathers with their stepchildren, stepmothers have more trouble building positive relationships (Ganong, Coleman, & Jamison, p. 408, 2011). Much of the posts on this blog seem to reflect that in order for a stepfamily to be successful, one must be willing the address ongoing conflicts that can arise. Unfortunately, many people neglect to consider that relationships involve making constant changes, which is why people believe that divorcing a spouse is a solution to one’s marital problems and why three in five second marriages fail (Cox & Demmitt, p. 476, 2014). On the other hand, a drawback to this website is that it may not provide as much support as it did from 2009 to 2011 when it was updated on a regular basis. Although it provides …show more content…
What I particularly liked about this source is that they substitute the words ‘stepparent,’ and ‘stepchild’ with ‘bonusparent’ and ‘bonuschild,’ respectively. It often seems like there is a lot of negative connotations associated with stepparents and stepchildren since the prefix “step-” originally meant “orphan” (Cox & Demmitt, p. 483, 2014). For instance, when I think of the term stepmother, I tend to think of the evil stepmother from “Cinderella.” The use of the terms ‘bonusparent’ and ‘bonuschild’ allow people to look at stepfamilies under a positive light, since the prefix “bonus-” refers to something extra or additional, or an asset given freely (Bonus Families, 2014). Furthermore, the term ‘bonusparent’ better illustrates how stepparents can be additional sources of love, support and friendship for children, and resolve some of the issues that come with being a single parent (Cox & Demmitt, p. 495, 2014). I also thought the webpage you mentioned was a helpful resource to families since it is constantly updated and discusses issues that may only arise at certain points in the year. For instance, with Thanksgiving in the coming days and the start of the holiday season kicking-off later this week, the two most recent articles talk about embracing new holiday traditions and gift suggestions that non-custodial parents can provide their children (Bonus Families, 2015). The different
Since most studies find that stepmothers have more difficulty with stepchildren than stepfathers because children tend to be closest with their biological mother, this resource provides stepmothers a place to connect with other stepmothers like them (Cox & Demmitt, p. 493, 2014). Stepmothers are often placed with many more demands than stepfathers as they are expected to fill the role of the mother as a nurturer and caregiver. However, this can become even more challenging if the stepmother does not get to see the stepchildren often (Ganong, Coleman, & Jamison, p. 411, 2011). Furthermore, since stepmothers tend to have less time than stepfathers with their stepchildren, stepmothers have more trouble building positive relationships (Ganong, Coleman, & Jamison, p. 408, 2011). Much of the posts on this blog seem to reflect that in order for a stepfamily to be successful, one must be willing the address ongoing conflicts that can arise. Unfortunately, many people neglect to consider that relationships involve making constant changes, which is why people believe that divorcing a spouse is a solution to one’s marital problems and why three in five second marriages fail (Cox & Demmitt, p. 476, 2014). On the other hand, a drawback to this website is that it may not provide as much support as it did from 2009 to 2011 when it was updated on a regular basis. Although it provides …show more content…
What I particularly liked about this source is that they substitute the words ‘stepparent,’ and ‘stepchild’ with ‘bonusparent’ and ‘bonuschild,’ respectively. It often seems like there is a lot of negative connotations associated with stepparents and stepchildren since the prefix “step-” originally meant “orphan” (Cox & Demmitt, p. 483, 2014). For instance, when I think of the term stepmother, I tend to think of the evil stepmother from “Cinderella.” The use of the terms ‘bonusparent’ and ‘bonuschild’ allow people to look at stepfamilies under a positive light, since the prefix “bonus-” refers to something extra or additional, or an asset given freely (Bonus Families, 2014). Furthermore, the term ‘bonusparent’ better illustrates how stepparents can be additional sources of love, support and friendship for children, and resolve some of the issues that come with being a single parent (Cox & Demmitt, p. 495, 2014). I also thought the webpage you mentioned was a helpful resource to families since it is constantly updated and discusses issues that may only arise at certain points in the year. For instance, with Thanksgiving in the coming days and the start of the holiday season kicking-off later this week, the two most recent articles talk about embracing new holiday traditions and gift suggestions that non-custodial parents can provide their children (Bonus Families, 2015). The different