How to keep your blended or stepfamily intact

Couples who go through a divorce and remarriage experience a tough time of their lives. The same thing happens to their kids. In most cases, those involved often experience feelings of anger, resentment, frustration, and guilt. There are things that step parents can do to soften the impact and negative effects of the divorce and remarriage to their children, and eventually find a place in their new stepfamily.

1. Avoid negative talks. Refrain from speaking negative things about the children’s other parent, or better yet, about anybody involved in your blended family. Negative talks promote negative feelings, which is detrimental to the emotional health of your blended family.

2. Train your children. No children are expert blended family members – they have no user’s manual to refer to whenever they become confused with their situation. They only have your guidance to cling to in order for them to stay in line and live normal lives. They need to know that being in a blended or stepfamily is not a bad thing and that each member of the stepfamily has the responsibility to support each other.

3. Keep an open line of communication.  Encouraging your children to speak their minds about your stepfamily creates an atmosphere of openness and avoids buildup of concerns that may later explode and become more difficult to manage.

Divorce and remarriage often results in less than friendly situation for many people. Time-tested guidelines can help to keep a positive outlook and provide hope to better manage the negative effects of the situation. These guidelines help to a great extent in improving your chances of creating and keeping a strong and solid blended and stepfamily.

Do you need advice with your stepfamily? The Blended and Step Family Resource Center is the right place for you to find the help you are seeking. Avail of our counseling and coaching services which are aimed at helping you achieve the success that you long for with your blended and stepfamily.