| Blending family relationships is something that takes | | | | stepchild he will simply refuse to engage and, instead, |
| time and a lot of patience. A lot of relationship issues in | | | | force his new wife to deal with the problem |
| step families arise because the members of the | | | | completely by herself. He will also be stand-offish |
| blended family try to rush into their relationships instead | | | | when his new stepchildren try to forge a relationship |
| of taking the time to get used to living together and | | | | with him. He does this because he doesn't want to |
| learning each other's personality and living styles. Most | | | | impose or step on anybody's toes. Because of this, it |
| new step parents fall into one of two categories: | | | | takes longer for his step children to open up and trust |
| over-compensators and under-compensators. | | | | him. |
| The Over-compensator will push his (or her) way into | | | | Relationship issues in step-families are common when |
| a relationship with his step children. He will try to get | | | | people first start to work at blending family relationship |
| too close to quickly. He will try too forcefully to | | | | issues. Sometimes the relationship issues in step |
| establish his dominance over the child as an authority | | | | families are small and the blending family relationships |
| figure. One common mistake that is made by an | | | | will smooth themselves out over time. Other times, the |
| overcompensating step parent is siding with the step | | | | problems will be harder to over come. If this is the |
| child when issues arise with his new wife or with his | | | | case, you should look into step-family relationship |
| own children to prove to his step child that he is a | | | | counseling. |
| good guy. | | | | Step-family relationship counseling can help smooth out |
| Another common mistake made by | | | | the process of blending family relationships. A |
| over-compensating step parents is going toward the | | | | counselor will not take sides or play favorites. Instead |
| other end of the spectrum: being too strict, being too | | | | she will help your newly blended family learn to |
| cold and being too forceful with disciplinary issues and | | | | communicate with each other and how to be patient |
| house rules-and trying to impose his own ideas of child | | | | and build your relationships slowly. She might have |
| rearing as replacement for a system that was already | | | | advice that is hard to hear, but as a trained |
| understood by his wife and her children. This usually | | | | professional she has seen it all before. |
| results in a resentful relationship between him and his | | | | Blending family relationships is hard work and takes a |
| wife, not to mention with his own children as well as his | | | | lot of time. Nothing is going to be perfect right away. |
| stepchildren. | | | | Trying to make it perfect too quickly will result in |
| The Under-compensators, on the other hand, have the | | | | relationship issues in step-families. Consider step-family |
| opposite approach. Usually he will develop a | | | | relationship counseling to help your family work out its |
| completely hands off approach to dealing with his step | | | | issues and learn to live together happily and peacefully. |
| children. If there are arguments or problems with his | | | | |