How to Deal with Step-Children.
Dealing with step-children is not a clear-cut process that you can establish easily. Your relationship with your spouse plays a direct role in determining how you will deal with the step-children. While every situation will be different, here are some basic steps on how to deal with step-children.
STEP 1: Talk with your spouse about rules, structure and discipline. You have to present a unified front on these issues with a list of house rules that are in effect no matter what.
STEP 2: Let your spouse deal with discipline at first. You have to establish yourself in the step-children’s lives before you can discipline them effectively.
STEP 3: Be patient. This will take time and patience.
STEP 4: Provide love, stability and safety. All families should give this to children, but step-children have already been through the destruction of one family, so they have some very justifiable doubts to overcome.
STEP 5: Build trust with your step-children by doing as you say.
Overall Tips & Warnings
There is no such thing as a freeze-dried dad or an instant mom. Expecting this from yourself is unrealistic.
You are not a “rent-a-cop” parent. You are the real deal.
Be open to the idea of professional counseling to help you, your spouse and your step-children adjust to the new facts of life.
Beware a spouse that cuts you down in front of the step-children. The children quickly learn that you are not to be respected.
Don’t rip on the birth parents, even if they deserve it. Don’t participate even if the step-children themselves rip on their birth parents.
ASk anything on http://ehow.com
This open post was written 3 years, 1 month ago | V/U/S: 2,766, 5, 1 | Edit Post | Leave a reply | Report Post
Reciprocity (0) 
Since writing this post Queen Elizatron 4000 may have helped people, but has not within the last 4 days. Queen Elizatron 4000 is a verified member, has been around for 3 years, 9 months and has 533 posts and 10,088 replies to their name.
Replies (5)
Where were you?
You can also watch events on Help.com as they happen
Queen Elizatron 4000 changed the tags on this post: they were "relationship, love, dealing with stepchildren, Discipline, time and patience, build trust, talk, list, house, Family" 3 years, 1 month ago.
Queen Elizatron 4000 changed the tags on this post: they were "relationship, love, dealing with stepchildren, Discipline, time and patience, build trust, talk, list, house, Family, parents, step kids, married, mother, father" 3 years, 1 month ago.
rwinte
katysmart0
Invite Others to Help
A logged in and verified Help.com member has the ability to setup a Friends List and invite others to help with posts.