This purpose of this post is to assist families in having realistic expectations for blending two families into one. Some interesting research shows that step-parents can expect the age of their children to double before they feel completely comfortable the step-parent. In this situations, a parent who re-marries when their child is two, will likely see their child bond with the new parent by the age of four. This number is not as concerning as a child who is ten at the time of remarriage. This child can be as old as twenty before they see their step-parent as a parent. These results show that parents who are remarrying may want to lower their expectations. It may be unrealistic to expect a child to bond overnight. In some cases, there can be a few exceptions that may speed up the bonding process. The first exception would likely be when a very young child does not see their biological parent for whatever reason. If a child is raised without any bonds with their biological parent, the bonding experience may speed up.
Adding a step-parent to the mix following a divorce can be emotional and confusing to a child, regardless of their age. It may be concerning to a child, who may not understand where the step-parent fits into the situation. They may feel as though this new parent is replacing the old one. To help erase these fears, a step-parent can reinforce that the child will always have a mom and a dad. Explaining to them that a step-parent is just one more person to love them might help them deal with the changes. Overall, patience and understanding is a main key to successful family blending. For more information about blending families through the addition of a step-family, click here.
From divorce to remarriage, this process can be traumatic on the entire family. Click here to discuss your unique family situation with a trusted Vancouver WA divorce attorney today.