In today's world, we see more and more divorces and single parents remarrying, thus we see new ties emerge. With these, children also tend to get step parents, and probably stepbrothers and stepsisters. It is becoming more common as the days go by. With extended families and stepchildren, things could get more complicated as there could be hurdles and challenges that you as a parent have to face when you deal with stepchildren. Blended families usually take time to blend together, and there would be plenty of adjustments before everything fall into place.
Stepchildren are normally resentful towards a new parent, thus you would have to understand this fact and act accordingly. The main thing that you should keep in mind is the three Ls - Love, listen and learn. This concept of three Ls is perfect to grow and foster any relationship, and would be ideal when you want to work something out with your stepchildren. Always love them for the children that they are, and do not differentiate your stepchildren from your own, it is best to treat them as equals. Love is such a powerful emotion, the more you love your stepchildren, the better your relationships would turn out to be.
Listen to what they have to say, and I mean listen, not just hear. There is a difference between hearing and listening, and you as a parent should know this. Try not to tell them what to do, instead listen to what they want, and ask for their opinions from time to time.
And make sure that you learn about your stepchildren, learn about things that they like, as well as what they do not like. Talk to them constantly, and make sure that you get to know your stepchildren well. Try to allocate as much time as possible to spend with them, and do not make them feel left out, especially if you have children of your own from a previous marriage.
And remember that relationships with stepchildren do not work out overnight. It would take time, thus do not expect miracles when it comes to this predicament. Do not rush anything, and take your time to get to know your stepchildren, and give them time to adapt to you and your characteristics. In time, everything would work out just fine.
