Couple and Family Relations
Relations Advice Critique
Hailey Filippi, 0939125
University of Guelph
“Advice to Step-Parents From My Inner Teen” is an article by Sue Nador focused on bringing parenting advice to new stepparents. It takes the approach of what not to do as a stepparent and why it is important for stepparents to not be involved in parenting. The work gives tips such as to not be needy, not tag along, and not play the “me” card. The purpose of the article is centralized to giving stepparents advice on how to act, and primarily, not parent. The article is written from the perspective of the authors’ teenage self and explains her experiences and how they have shaped her both positively and negatively (Nador 2013). …show more content…
The Structural Functionalist approach sees family as a unit that is very important for the development of children and within the family; everyone has roles in which they must fulfill in order for the experience to be positive Neustifter (2016). To lose a parent even to divorce, as did the author of the article would affect the structure of the family. The individual experiencing this would go from having a family, to a less structured family. When a new person comes in and takes the role of a parent, they do not fit into the structure. This is because the child experiences a dynamic shift from having an ideal family, to feeling like their family is broken, before they can start healing Neustifter (2016). Bringing another person who has not been there from the beginning tends to be difficult for the child to readjust. The author states that now, she has a great appreciation for the ways in which her stepmother handled the transition. She agrees that it is hard for a teenager to understand, but as an adult, it is realized that such an adjustment is not easy for anybody (Nador 2013). As seen from the structural-functionalist point of view, once the child has accepted the new addition to the family structure and they work as a whole to allow the family to function, it becomes easier for the child to accept them Neustifter (2016). For instance, the …show more content…
It is important that stepparents understand their place in the new family they are entering and that it will take time and commitment for meaningful relationships to be created. A lot can be learned from this. Growing up and experiencing this myself, I understand and agree with a lot of what Nador has to say in her article. Analyzing exactly why stepchildren feel the way they do is really eye opening. For instance, I can remember not knowing why I felt certain ways towards my stepparent growing up. With that being said, as time went on we were able to establish a close bond, as she became part of our family, took on roles and our family structure
Relations Advice Critique
Hailey Filippi, 0939125
University of Guelph
“Advice to Step-Parents From My Inner Teen” is an article by Sue Nador focused on bringing parenting advice to new stepparents. It takes the approach of what not to do as a stepparent and why it is important for stepparents to not be involved in parenting. The work gives tips such as to not be needy, not tag along, and not play the “me” card. The purpose of the article is centralized to giving stepparents advice on how to act, and primarily, not parent. The article is written from the perspective of the authors’ teenage self and explains her experiences and how they have shaped her both positively and negatively (Nador 2013). …show more content…
The Structural Functionalist approach sees family as a unit that is very important for the development of children and within the family; everyone has roles in which they must fulfill in order for the experience to be positive Neustifter (2016). To lose a parent even to divorce, as did the author of the article would affect the structure of the family. The individual experiencing this would go from having a family, to a less structured family. When a new person comes in and takes the role of a parent, they do not fit into the structure. This is because the child experiences a dynamic shift from having an ideal family, to feeling like their family is broken, before they can start healing Neustifter (2016). Bringing another person who has not been there from the beginning tends to be difficult for the child to readjust. The author states that now, she has a great appreciation for the ways in which her stepmother handled the transition. She agrees that it is hard for a teenager to understand, but as an adult, it is realized that such an adjustment is not easy for anybody (Nador 2013). As seen from the structural-functionalist point of view, once the child has accepted the new addition to the family structure and they work as a whole to allow the family to function, it becomes easier for the child to accept them Neustifter (2016). For instance, the …show more content…
It is important that stepparents understand their place in the new family they are entering and that it will take time and commitment for meaningful relationships to be created. A lot can be learned from this. Growing up and experiencing this myself, I understand and agree with a lot of what Nador has to say in her article. Analyzing exactly why stepchildren feel the way they do is really eye opening. For instance, I can remember not knowing why I felt certain ways towards my stepparent growing up. With that being said, as time went on we were able to establish a close bond, as she became part of our family, took on roles and our family structure