Parenting Of Step Children

A nuclear family has become the norm of the day. To top it up divorces and remarriages of the parents have become equally common. Remarriages may give parents the kind of partner they had aspired. It may not sink in well with the child from the previous marriage.

It’s difficult for the child to see another person in place of their father or mother. Here comes the role of the parent and the step parent to pull their socks and provide the much needed mental and emotional support to the kids to deal with the situation. The parents much realize that they are not only responsible for themselves but for their children as well.

The parents and step parents should openly show their warm feeling for the children to see and realize their affection for them.  They should communicate as much as possible to the children to make them feel comfortable. Lots of problems may arise until the children accept the step parents. So the adults have to watch for these and address them then and there.

Very often the adults would have to put themselves in the shoes of the children to understand their perspective. The parents should try to think of what all would go on in the child’s mind. It would certainly be difficult for the children to accept that they would be living with only one biological parent. The presence of a new person due to marriage and lot of new people in family might take away attention from the child and he may feel lonely. This would be coupled with the pain of divorce and missing the other parent.

Showing unconditional love to the step children in the same way as it were their own child would solve most of the problem. Lots of hugs, kisses and warm words would definitely make the child feel lot better. One must remember, every child whether step child or own child yearns for parents’ attention at some point or other in life. When they get it in right amount and the right time, it make them happy and satisfied, which ultimately a sign of happy family.

Lastly, step parents along with the parent have to work hard to win the trust, faith and love of the children. But once they have done it, their job is just to maintain it. The step parents must understand they have to accept the step children as their child as today’s young ones would be their support in future.