My moment came when I was able to track down a step-staff for my stepson who s a green belt in karate. He thanked me using my first name. A distant French horn played somewhere. Teenagers resemble cr me brul e. Try to get past the crusty exterior of baggy pants and listless shuffle to see the kid inside. Remember they are consumed by their own life and impending future and are grappling with complex issues that you wouldn t trade for all the collagen in the world.
Families are something they ve been steadily distancing themselves from for years.
A stepfamily at this stage is just some vaguely disruptive turbulence at the end of their first flight. No one has a script, a soundtrack, a cue or a clue. Somehow someday they will regard you differently. The American Psychology Association says that under the best conditions, it may take two to four years for a new stepfamily to adjust to living together. By then, with any luck, they ll be college bound.