When a Stepparent Enters the Picture
In some families, new adults and kids seem to slip in effortlessly, as though they have been there all along. Everyone gets along well — one big happy family.
But some families brought together through marriage can be so different that the best everyone can do is grit their teeth and work extremely hard to get through a weekend together.
Building a relationship with a stepparent can be quite different from building other new relationships. After all, when you meet a new friend or love interest, you are the one deciding if that person will have a role in your life. You get to introduce these new people into your life gradually, taking time to decide how they fit and how you really feel about them.
A stepparent is different; he or she is someone your mom or dad has invited into the family. Sometimes a stepparent can feel like a stranger who is suddenly inserted into the most personal aspects of your life. The pressure to get along can be intense.
Because everyone's situation is different, there are no easy answers to accepting a stepparent. Some people find themselves with new stepparents after a parent has died, others after parents have divorced. Some parents take years to meet and marry other people; some remarry almost immediately.
When a parent remarries, you may find yourself with an instant family of stepsiblings or, eventually, with younger half-brothers or half-sisters.