When two families are blended together into one household the children gain a new authority figure welcome or not. They also have no choice about the step siblings with whom they’ll be sharing their living space. It’s no wonder that…
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A successful mother-in-law is well aware that no relationship can be built in a vacuum. She is generally someone who takes keen interest in ensuring that her family’s unity remains intact. She confidently takes positive steps in the right direction-…
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Marriage quality within the blended family is important to maintain. For a blended family to be successfully integrated and unified, it requires a positive example to be set by the parents. Before both partners consider the possibility of a blended…
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When it comes to disciplining your stepchild in a blended family, you need to be aware of certain perceptions that your stepchild brings into the relationship with you. You are more likely the wicked step-mother than the fairy god-mother. First,…
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Every child has expectations of what he or she will receive from adults on a physical, psychological and emotional level. In essence these expectations are to be loved, cherished, kept save and looked after as well as the expectation that…
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You’re about to combine two families and perhaps for the first time you’re facing living with young boys or girls. Will it make a difference in how things are handled and what behaviors may result? Yes. If you have experience…
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Your son has brought home his new wife and you have made up in your mind that you will not make this new mother-in-law, daughter-in-law relationship become disastrous like the one you had with your last daughter-in-law. You’ve made mistakes…
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A difficult issue for blended families is when the parents favor their birth children over their stepchildren. This is usually not done intentionally. The parents are often trying to compensate for the trauma their child suffered during the divorce. But…
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Blending families can be difficult, but not entirely impossible.  With your new combined family comes new family dynamics, and these can cause some conflicts that need to be addressed.  You, your children, and your new spouse may have a lot of questions and…
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Befriending your stepchild for the first time is very significant. You may feel decidedly nervous with anticipation before greeting your stepchild which is to be expected. If this is your first experience of parenting, you will no doubt be looking…
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Achieving success in blending together two families that might have been blighted by the problems that have brought about the downfall and break-up of the previous family relationships that one or both of the new family partners may have experienced…
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Communication is the most important asset that families have, particularly when faced with the potential of blending different family members into a new family unit. The uncertainty that many children feel is natural, as they will have already experienced disruption…
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Everyone knows the response of a teenager will be very different than that of a two year old. When blending families everyone will feel some sort of emotions concerning the event. Children especially have an interesting take on the entire…
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Children are often seen as being very resilient and able to cope with change. This is not often the case. Children are placed on an emotional rollercoaster which asks them to deal with change on multiple levels. The younger children…
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Children are competitive, particularly when it comes to wanting to monopolise and/or gain the attention of an adult and indeed getting their own way in preference to other children. Competive rivalry is not bad as long as it remains within…
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A new blended family is, even for the new parents, uncharted territory. Having potentially come from the breakdown of a previous relationship neither will be quite sure how this new experience is going to work out. There will be doubts…
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Preparing children for change at any time is never easy and always requires a lot of support from the parent. However, when that change involves the move to a new blended family environment it preparing the child is even more…
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Every family, irrespective of its structure and make-up, will experience conflicts. However, unfortunately it can often seem that these issues are exacerbated within a blended family environment and there are several reasons for this, of which four can be considered…
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“Honest criticism is hard to take, particularly from a relative, a friend, an acquaintance, or a stranger.”  Franklin P. Jones. No one enjoys being criticized. However, the only growth that someone experiences comes from change. Often-times, criticism can be one…
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Planning celebrations and holidays within a blended family environment is never going to be an easy issue to resolve and this is especially going to be the case when younger children are involved in either of both sides of the…
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The decision to remarry is not one that should be made on the fly. There are many factors to take into consideration before joining two families together. It may be slightly awkward or uncomfortable, but it is a good idea…
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Every woman desires to be a successful mother-in law. But human nature often makes that  proposition very difficult. The first thing you will need to remember is that your child has fallen in love with someone. Hopefully, it will be…
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Conflict is a part of any healthy relationship. They are particularly common in blended families. Dealing with these conflicts can be exhausting. However, here are a few tips that can make the process a little easier to bear. – Listen…
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Trust is an important aspect in any family. Trust must be present for all other foundational elements of a family to exist. Establishing this trust can be tricky for some, but it can also be carefully plotted out too. There…
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You want to be accepted by your new stepchildren. However, nothing you can do pleases them. You can  surely expect defiance. Your stepchildren will defy you at every opportunity they get. They will not accept you as an authority figure…
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