Blended Families

Most children in the United States, 60%, will spend some of their life living with someone other than both of their biological parents. There are many families whose parents are separated because of divorce, death, or some other reason. Many people choose to remarry after these tragedies. This is a unique situation when two families come together to make a new family. There are some things the new parents can do to help establish this new family.

1. Be patient. Studies show that it takes at least two years to establish normalcy in a blended family. A blended family is different than a traditional family and it takes time for the members of the blended family to feel comfortable and normal in their new family.
2. The birth parent should be in charge of handling the heavy discipline of their birth children. When two families come together, they come with different rules and expectations. Their new parent needs to establish a warm healthy relationship with their new children before they can effectively discipline them.
3. The step-parent needs to build a good relationship with their new children. They need to be supportive, loving, and encouraging to them. They also should stand by their new spouse in their parenting of their birth children.
4. The couple needs to take time to counsel with one another. They need to make sure they are communicating with one another so they can rely on one another for support. The transitioning into a blended family is difficult and the best way to help children adjust is for the parents to build a strong relationship with one another.