When you marry a person who has children, there are a lot of new things that happen all at once: you become a spouse and you become a stepparent on the same day. This is a big deal! Here are some important things that brand new stepparents should know when they enter not only a marriage but a family on their wedding day.
1. It Takes Time
This might be the most infuriating piece of advice on any issue, but for stepfamily life it is simply essential. It has been said that it takes about seven years for new stepfamilies to really begin to ?gel? and function smoothly, so if things are feeling rough and chaotic, just take a breath and give yourself time. It?s important to remember that everyone involved is making a major life adjustment and take the same amount of time to sink into and accept that change?and that?s OK. Children in particular are going through a massive adjustment when their parent marries a new partner, and it really may take some processing and getting used to things before they feel ready and comfortable in their new family dynamic. Give them that time and space and grace and I can assure you the whole family will be better for it. 2. Families Are Complicated
By becoming a new stepparent and marrying your partner, you have entered into a family that contains more than just you and your spouse. It includes your spouse?s children, of course, as well as those children?s other parent, and sometimes the extended families of those people as well. Although that can...