Going through a divorce can create a whole host of different scenarios for families. It can involve shared custody scenarios, where children effectively live between two homes, but it can also mean that blended families are created.
Blended families are what is created when two parents move in together that have children of their own, thereby creating a situation that involves stepparents and stepsiblings. This can be a wonderful yet challenging set-up because it requires a diverse set of demands from the children involved.
Becoming an established family
Studies show that for a blended family to become well-established, it takes between two and five years. At the beginning, therefore, it is almost guaranteed that chaos will ensue.
Friction can occur often because the two parents have different parenting styles that they have refined over the years. For example, one parent might be more strict than the other parent. In addition, it is common for conflicts to happen because a parent is accused of treating a stepchild differently than they treat their biological child. There may also be jealousy or conflicts between stepchildren.
A strong family structure
In order to create a strong family dynamic, all children must be able to bond and spend a significant amount of time together. This might become an issue in child custody cases, since the children may have conflicting visitation schedules. If you are trying to keep your blended family together while navigating custody battles, then it is important to make a strong argument about what is in the best interests of your children.
Source: Parents, “Navigating the Challenges of Blended Families,” accessed Jan. 05, 2018
