The Dynamics of the Blended Family

Would you be surprised to learn that for the first time in history, step families are more common than non-step families?  Life in a step family, which modern terminology refers to as a blended family, isn’t always smooth sailing and, in fact, can be quite challenging.

Expectations

Because blended families come with their own unique dynamics, it is implausible to assume that step families will always behave like intact families.  Many parents enter a blended situation with misguided expectations.  They think their desire to love and nurture their stepchildren will be grounds for full-fledged acceptance and reciprocated affection and that possibly their stepchildren will even regard them like they do a natural parent.  In reality, however, the circumstances take on some serious complexity and conditions are rarely so cut and dried.  In natural families, children are an extension of the parents.  Because of this, natural parents are usually jointly motivated to devote hefty amounts of time, energy, and money into their progeny.  Step parenting, however, is not that predictable and often drifts into uncharted territory for both parent and child.  It takes awareness on the part of the step parents to come to the realization that the dynamics of their new blend won’t be the same as a natural family.  With this recognition, the blended family has a better chance of tracking a more positive course.

Sex and Biology

In a natural family, a man and a woman come together to have a child.  Most of the time, both parents have the interest of the child at heart.  They combine their energies to tend to and nurture the child.  In step families, however, sexual energies of the couple and biological energies of parent/child relationship can cause family members to move emotionally in opposing directions.  This polarization can be the.........read more

Balancing Work and Life: Two Essential Elements

For many working adults, managing the demands of a career in addition to constantly having to juggle the obligations of a busy household is becoming more of a challenge.  Oftentimes, the requirements that create a negative pull on a person’s time result in overwork, over-exhaustion, and high levels of stress.

The Balancing Act

It’s important to remember that the true harmony found in managing work and family life is not always a completely balanced equation.  The hours you spend at work versus the hours spent with family may change from time to time, or even day to day, depending upon you and your family’s circumstances.  Regardless of how your day is divvied up, there are two elements that should always take the center stage in your awareness and remain constant:   Success and satisfaction.

Success

All too often, society stresses the importance of success and achievement as it relates to financial gains, material assets, and career performance.  In fact, that emphasis can be very important to many areas of life, including a healthy self-esteem.  Success, however, is a relative term that would be better defined subjectively according to the individual person, rather than objectively, as classified by society. In the broadest sense,......read more