Blended Family Behavior

The question for my topic on family structures is how children’s behaviors are affected when they are introduced to different situations within a blended family. Through my research I have found that a child’s behavior is the most noticeable affect that changes. During different situations like a divorce, the entrance of the new stepparent, and how their perceptions of these situations affect them. I found on divorce within a blended family that post-divorce step relationships with former stepparents are a function of whether stepchildren thought of their former stepparents as kin, had once claimed them as kin but disclaimed them after the divorce, or had never claimed them as family members (Coleman, 2015). It is proven that children do better …show more content…
Their perception on the world shifts and they are less likely to make commitments. The entrance of the new stepparent also affects the child. If the prep work is not done properly before the marriage then the system will not work and the child suffers. How the stepparent enters can affect the child’s other relationships. Like the primary father-child relationship, mother-child relationship, and the prior father-child, mother-child relationship may affect the stepparent- child relationship. The entrance of married and cohabiting stepfathers may have similar effects on biological parent-child ties. Both situations can introduce stress and require family adjustments as well as bringing benefits in terms of improved economic resources or parenting support (King, 2009). How the parent reacts to the new family structure also shows how the child is going to welcome the new stepparent. As Angie Thomason (Interview, September 28, 2015) states, if the introduction is too soon he child might have unresolved grief and their emotions can cloud their judgement about the person. From a child’s perspective their behavior varies depending on their age and what stage of