Outside of fairy tales and childish nightmares of Daddy’s upcoming wedding, stepmothers very rarely banish their new stepchildren to the attic. But…when families “blend” there are often bumps in the road to a happy home. Things rarely progress smoothly, but please remember during the “bumps” that they DO progress. Some children resist change more than others and some parents are less patient with this type of resistance than others. It’s easy to become frustrated when the new “blended” family isn’t smoothly functioning quite as you planned. But when you feel the frustration coming on, remember that changes to family structure do require adjustment time for all of those involved. Consider these guidelines on how you can help your blended family work through the bumps.
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So have their parents, and if there is an attempt to get a blended family settled, then at least one of their parents has survived the aftermath of divorce and found a new relationship. In this circumstance, it’s often tempting to rush into a new marriage and blend two families without a lot of preparatory work or simply time. If you remember to take your time, you will find that it’s easier for everyone to grow accustomed to each other as well as grow accustomed to the idea of the new marriage.
Avoid Too Many Changes at Once: Blended families that have the highest success rate are led by couples that waited a couple years or more after their divorce before they remarried. When the new marriage follows too closely on the heels of the first, it can feel as if one drastic family change is being piled on top of another.
Don’t Expect to Fall in Love at First Sight with Your Partner’s Kids: Allow yourself some time to grow to love your new stepchildren. Get to know them. The affection and eventually, love, will develop over
So have their parents, and if there is an attempt to get a blended family settled, then at least one of their parents has survived the aftermath of divorce and found a new relationship. In this circumstance, it’s often tempting to rush into a new marriage and blend two families without a lot of preparatory work or simply time. If you remember to take your time, you will find that it’s easier for everyone to grow accustomed to each other as well as grow accustomed to the idea of the new marriage.
Avoid Too Many Changes at Once: Blended families that have the highest success rate are led by couples that waited a couple years or more after their divorce before they remarried. When the new marriage follows too closely on the heels of the first, it can feel as if one drastic family change is being piled on top of another.
Don’t Expect to Fall in Love at First Sight with Your Partner’s Kids: Allow yourself some time to grow to love your new stepchildren. Get to know them. The affection and eventually, love, will develop over