For Parents Click on the image above to download a complete copy of this publication in PDF format. Download a free copy of the Adobe Acrobat Reader. Charlotte Shoup Olsen, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist, Family Systems Parenting can be a challenge in any family, but living in a stepfamily can add more issues to the parenting role.
Children look at the world differently than adults.
Partners forming stepfamilies expect joy, peace and happiness that may have been lost in earlier relationships. Children may view the stepfamily much differently. Much of what children understand depends on their age. At each age, there are certain feelings and reactions that children will experience. For some children it is a happy event to have a new family with more people around.