After getting a divorce, there might come a time where you decide to remarry. One of the trickiest parts of this can be adjusting to a new role of being a stepparent. However, what about if you both have kids? Blended families require a bit of extra work to pull off. However, they’re definitely worth the effort…
Blended Families: How To Pull It Off
Talk to your partner
A good way to lay the groundwork for your blended family is to talk to your partner ahead of time. Just jumping into things will make the process much harder than it needs to be. Instead, it’s much more useful to sit down with your ex and talk about both of your expectations and plans for your new, combined family.
For instance, try to talk about where your parenting styles might be similar or different. You’ll want to figure out how you can use those unique aspects to better improve your parenting plan. Also, try to come up with some ways the both of you can start to bond with your new stepchildren, to help smooth out the process.
Promote a happy home environment
Good blended families also tend to have good home environments. With your new marriage, either you or your partner’s kids will be moving to a new space. In fact, you all might be moving to a new place depending on what you want to do! Therefore, you’ll want to make sure that everyone feels at home in this space.
If your kids and your stepchildren are able to feel at easy in the home, the more likely they are to get along. However, be sure to give them some space when they need it. All of this change might be a little bit overwhelming, so sometimes they just need a moment to relax by themselves.
Know how you’ll resolve conflicts
Like in any family, blended families will have times where they fight or argue. While this is expected, you should prepare for it nonetheless. Try to talk to your partner about what kind of boundaries and rules your house should have, and talk to the kids about it so they know as well.