Stepfamily situations
Families have changed. It has become normal for people to be living with chilren who are not their own in a variety of situations. However, it seems that people do not find it easy to know how to manage their new family situations, how to live with ex-partners, stepparents, stepchildren, and so on. If your family includes children who are your partners but not yours (ie stepchildren) it can't be assumed you will love them automatically or that they will be happy that you have joined their family. That can make things difficult for all of you.
People in stepfamily situations don't always think that they are in one. However, if you or your ex-partner are in a new relationship, or if your new partner has children already then that is your situation.
Step families come in many different shapes and sizes. In one family, a child may have different parents, and different brothers and sisters than another, one adult may be a parent and the other not, or both may be parents but have no children between them. You may have seperated from your partner and he or she is in a new relationship so that your children have a stepparent. It can get very complicated.
My work on stepfamilies
If you would like to know more about my work in this area, or get
a copy of my doctorate 'Narratives of Mothers in Stepfamily Situations'
contact me: Claire Asherson Bartram
Therapists who work in this area
A list of therapists can be found on the StepIn ASAP website (Advancing
Stepfamily Awareness in Practice) StepIn
ASAP
(edited December 2010)