Families in the US are evolving. Just 50 years ago, the typical nuclear family consisted of a father, mother and their children. These days, however, blended families are becoming more common with 1300 new stepfamilies forming each day. Statistics also reveal that over 50% of families nowadays include partners who have re-coupled or remarried.
With blended families becoming the norm, chances are a huge proportion of men will find themselves stepping into the role of stepdad- some becoming fathers for the first time. If you’re in this situation, take heart. You’re in solidarity with millions of other stepparents across the nation.
While becoming a first-time stepdad can be scary, challenging and overwhelming at first, it also has some beautiful aspects. Like everything in life, there are good days and bad days and it will take a lot of time and effort, some unexpected bumps and conflicts before you become an awesome stepdad.
The Challenges
You might be excited to start a new life with your partner and kids but things won’t always go smoothly. You’re likely to run into some challenges as you navigate those tricky waters of being a stepdad including:
Expectation vs. reality. Lots of men go into blended families with an idea of what their role will be and how things will run. Unfortunately, reality might be very different from your expectations. As a stepfather, you have no prior legacy or history with these children and they already have their own family dynamics going on. So it’s completely normal to feel dismissed or unwanted at times but it’s just as important to recognize that this doesn’t reflect on your capacity as a dad. It just takes time to feel like part of a stepfamily.
A difficult transition period. Divorce isn’t easy on anyone, least of all the kids. They might feel resentful about your relationship with their mom and may even blame you for their parent’s separation. Alternatively, they might feel conflicted about maintaining their loyalty to their biological father and cultivating a relationship with you. Make the transition as smooth as possible by acknowledging their loss, getting to know them and exercising loads of patience.
Crossed communication lines. Becoming a stepdad especially in a family with teens is bound to present communication challenges. Everything you say or do might be misunderstood, twisted or ignored. Learning how to communicate effectively and take everyone’s feelings and opinions into consideration will keep things running smoothly. You can start by having a weekly family meeting to address issues as well as setting aside time each week to hang out together and bond as a family.
The Upside
On the flip side, becoming a first-time stepdad brings more new and amazing experiences than you could ever dream of. You will create fantastic memories out of the thousands of treasurable little moments you’ll experience and become a better person along the way. You might not have gotten the family you pictured but it will still be wonderful once you settle into your role and create blended family bliss together.
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This post is republished on Medium.
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