How to Make Your Blended Family a Success

 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Life After Divorce

There was a time in the United State’s history when most families comprised of a mother, a father and their biological children. Now, the “typical” American family has become somewhat of a thing of the past. With more Americans remarrying and same-sex marriage being legalized throughout the country, the “typical” American family is not so predictable anymore. According to the United States Census Bureau, more than half of American families were divorced and remarried or recoupled in 2010. The Bureau also reported that nearly four million children were living in a blended family or stepfamily in 2010.

Blended families face their own unique challenges and can prove to be difficult for some children to adjust to. Here are a few tips you can use to help ensure the success of your blended family:

Plan Your New Family

Before you do anything, you should try to plan for your remarriage and new family. Talk with your child’s other parent and discuss important issues, such as adjusted parenting time schedules and whether or not child support is still a necessity. You should also talk with your new partner to discuss living arrangements and financial situations.

Discuss New Roles

This can be rather important when you remarry. You should have a conversation with both your new spouse and your ex-spouse to discuss how things will operate in the new family. You should discuss your new spouse’s role as a parent before you begin your new living situations. Before your new spouse can assume a parental role in your family, they must form a bond with your children. It is best if your new spouse acts more as a friend or general caretaker before they act as a disciplinarian.

Do Not Expect Your Children to Adjust Overnight

It would be foolish of you to assume that your children will think of your new spouse as a parent right away. Many children have difficulties adjusting to a step-parent, especially if they have been used to a single-parent household for quite a while or they still have hopes that you and your ex-spouse will get back together. Most of the time, children under the age of 10 adjust better and more quickly to a step-parent, whereas children ages 11-14 tend to have a harder time accepting a step-parent.

Contact a Compassionate Aurora, IL Family Law Attorney Today

It is not uncommon for those who have gotten a divorce to get remarried. If you are planning on remarrying or introducing your new spouse’s children into your child’s life, you should contact a knowledgeable DuPage County family law attorney. At the Law Office of Matthew M. Williams, P.C., we can answer any questions you might have about remarriage, step-parent adoption or how a new marriage will affect issues like child custody and child support. Call our office today at 630-409-8184 to schedule a free consultation.

Sources:

https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stepfamily

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/parenting-family/step-parenting-blended-families.htm/

https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2014/demo/p20-572.pdf?#