Step Parenting

Parenting your own children is challenging enough but when you are parenting someone else's children, the demands are intensified. When a new marriage thrusts you into the role of step parent, you may find the journey to be fraught with obstacles; but with a little sensitivity and a lot of communication you can find the role of step parenting an enormously rewarding one.Step parenting can mean that you are faced with marriage and parenthood in one fell swoop. Adjusting to married life can be challenging enough but when you compound the issues with children who are often bitter and confused, you're not always off to a great start. And if you don't have children of your own, you are now having your first experience with parenting. It can be extremely stressful for all involved.Begin by remem...

With a high divorce rate and remarriage rate, many people are quickly finding themselves in the step-parenting role. There are many aspects to parenting in general, so you can only imagine the various aspects that have been developed around step-parenting as well. Here are several tips to help you out in your new parenting position.1. Remember, they already have parentsAs a new step-parenting, it can be difficult to understand where you stand in the life of the children you are acquiring. I most cases, the children already have a mom and a dad and for some children you may be a second or third step-parent. This means that there are already rules that are set. To make life easier on everybody, it is easiest if the step-parent adopts the existing rules instead of trying to create new ru...

Step parenting ultimately means being a step away from being a parent. Even if you have no intention of parenting, at the very least you are expected to step in when the real parent is absent. Like it or not, in a blended family you will do some parenting.Step parenting takes both, you and the biological parent. This relationship has to be solid unit. While it may take time to earn the respect of stepchildren, you nevertheless need the complete support of the biological parent. Your relationship will be on the display table and stepchildren take their cues from the strength of this relationship. If this relationship is weak and characterized by arguments, you the stepparent will be viewed as the weak link in this household. Not only do you and the real parent need to be a unified front, yo...

Step Parent Question and AnswerI have a twenty-three year old step son who moved back home a year ago. He has a job, but refuses to help out or even try to find a place of his own, and I know he's trying to cause problems between his father and I. What can I do?As a step parent, the first thing you need to do is have a heart-to-heart talk with your husband. Rather than focusing on your fears, focus on the opportunities presented by this situation. Start off by telling your husband that you love him very much and that you know how much his son means to him. Since he cares for him so much, he needs to help him grow into a man who can take care of himself and his family, rather than enabling him.In order for this to happen, suggest that he establish firm ground rules that encourage a sense o...

Being a step parent can be more difficult than being a biological parent. When you are a child's biological parent, there is no doubt the level of authority you have over your child. You know it, and your child knows it. But a step parent's role is often more of a gray area. There is a delicate balance between authority and friendship that will ultimately be different in every home, but if you keep these step parenting tips in mind, the road to your new parent-child relationship will be a lot smoother.1. You are a friend, not a parent. You have heard the saying time and time again from biological parents: "I'm your parent, not your friend." For biological parents, this is fine. However, unless you become a child's stepparent when he/she is very young, this mentality will only be met with h...

Step-parent adoptions are the most common form of child adoptions. These adoptions are usually simpler and quicker than other types of adoptions because many states forego the home-study and the waiting or adjustment period. Some states require the custodial parent be married to the step-parent for at least one year before the step-parent can file to adopt the spouse's children. The custodial parent cannot file the request, or petition, for the adoption, only the step-parent can do that.The first move in a step-parent adoption is familiarizing yourself with your state's adoption law. This may be done as easily as hiring a lawyer that specializes in adoptions or family law or you may choose to do your own research and look up the adoption law yourself. Some states require the adopting ...

I wanted to share a few tips with all fellow step parents new and old looking for a helping hand.I have been a step parent for 5 years now, my husband has 2 children from a previous marriage and they are now 16 and 12. We also have a child of our own who is 4, step parents have a tough role in life and it IS NOT easy. My step son age 16 has recently moved in with us and has that been a life changing event.There are many pros of having stepchildren living at your home, as being the step parent you will ALMOST ALWAYS be the bad parent regardless if you have done everything to the advantage of the child or not. You will most certainly go to bed crying at night not understanding why you are always made out to be the bad person. The biggest and most important role to keep in being that step...

Few people who are thrust into a marriage as a step-parent realize what they are in for, especially when the children are old enough to understand, and realize that you are not their real-mother or real father. It gets even more complicated on the home front when the incoming spouse also brings kids into the fold. And to top it all off many couples decide to have an additional child or more, that are purely theirs. Imagine the mind of a child or teen when this occurs.Jealousy, hurt feelings, low self-esteem are just few of the things that occur, which marriage, family, psychologists warn of, and family help groups find all too common. So, what's the quick solution, after all this is the day and age of the Internet, and you most likely want real answers, really fast, and you want them in le...

There's one thing we see in families more and more these days. Actually, it's been around for most of the last half century, so it's quite the norm - it is blended families. I don't think there is one step parent, or step son or step daughter out there that thinks it's a perfect situation. The reality is it's far from perfect and requires quite a bit of work and commitment to get it to work, and then even more work to keep it going.So, when you find yourself in the situation of being a step parent, what's going to work in building a relationship with your partner's children? Well, that depends on a number of factors. This is not the subject of this article - dealing with all those many factors.I would like to share with you one thing I learned recently that makes a whole deal of sense and ...

The training wheels have been lying on the garage floor for months. One wipe out after another throughout the spring and summer. Tearfully surrendering over and over again, for the balance was just a hair off. Timing, coordination, and courage are the recipe for success, but each time he came up a little short of one or more ingredients. Then, it happened. And we missed it! Our little guy rode his bike for the first time over the weekend. And the weekend after all is, Daddy's time.The correct reaction to this news would have been to congratulate him on his achievement of a major milestone in life. The response that came out however was how disappointed I was not to have been there when it happened. Oh what a mixed message it must have been for a five year old to process. I found a way to...