Today we discussed blended families in class. There are many challenges that arise when a parent decided to not only remarry but even date once a spouse has passed away or a divorce has occurred. However blended families can be very beautiful and functional. There is no one type of normalcy for these families. Normal will not be the same normal that is once was and it will not be the same for the you as it is for the next door neighbors.
But isn't that how anything good in life is. There is no one set way to accomplish your goals, what might work for you will not work for another person. But willingness to grow an prosper, love and teach is what is important.
However there are a few tips we went over in class today:
Accepting and Accommodating.
-Accept the fact that this family is different then the previous one. This will require developing new family units and strengthening already existing family units and roles.
-Accept the fact that it will take at least two years to reach some type of normalcy. In fact people who date to remarry often take a lot longer courting and dating than that which took place in the first marriage.
-Biological parent does all the heavy discipline. This is because they are still the parent. Problems can arise in developing relationships if the "new" parent tries to step in with heavy disciple. There can be a strain on the parents relationship as well as child parent relationships. Along with that rules can be interpreted differently from one individual to another.
-These couples will have more closed door discussions than any other parents. This is a must since the biological parent should do all the heavy discipline. This is not to say that the step parent should not have some say but these things should be discussed behind closed doors in order to make sure both parents are on the same page about things.
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