It is a dream of every parent to take care of their children with complete parental care from both father and mother. However, this might not happen due to different circumstances such as separation, divorce or death.
Such people move on and settle with different partners.
Being a step-parent comes with its own challenges and it is important to make life bearable both for your new partner and the children.
To establish a happy home as a stepparent, avoid crossing the following boundaries;
1. Acting as a replacement
You should never try to take the place of a biological parent if you are a step-parent. It does not matter whether the biological parent is alive or deceased. Do not force the children to call you 'mom' or 'dad', they can develop love and trust for you without using the 'mom' and 'dad' labels. respect their feelings.
2. Over involvement
It is important to keep your opinion to yourself unless asked especially when your partner and his/her ex are having a parental discussion. Even if you think your opinion matters most, remain quiet as you might cause unnecessary insults and arguments.
3. Physically disciplining your stepchildren
As a step-parent, you should avoid at all cost to physically discipline a stepchild even if you are overwhelmed with frustrations. If you think that the child's behaviour needs attention, pass that to your partner. Physical actions inflicted by step-parents are long-lasting and can lead to loss of respect and trust.