1. Chapter 15 Remarriage and Stepfamilies
Blended Families
Strengths of Stepfamilies
Women in Stepfamilies
Men in Stepfamilies
Children in Stepfamilies
Developmental Tasks for Blended Families

2. Remarriage for the Divorced
Reasons for remarriage are same as those for first marriage: love, companionship, emotional security, regular sex partner.
Half of remarriages occur within 5 years of divorce with men marrying sooner than women.

3. Issues Involved in Remarriage
Being a good parent to children while maintaining boundaries with ex spouse.
Emotional remarriage - Trusting and loving again.
Psychic remarriage - Give up freedom and autonomy of being single again.

4. Issues Involved in Remarriage
Community remarriage - Change in focus from single friends to new mate/couples.
Parental remarriage - Accepting children of new partner.
Economic and legal remarriage - Take on new responsibilities of second marriage.

5. Stability of Remarriage
More likely to end in divorce in the early years.
Remarried who learned little in first marriage tend to blame ex-spouse for first divorce.
After 15 years, second marriages are less likely to divorce than first marriages since the former do not fear divorce.

6. Stages In Becoming A Stepfamily
Fantasy - New marriage will be better than last, children will love each other, everyone will enjoy new happy family.
Reality - New marriage has problems, children do not like new stepmother/father, kids don’t like each other.

7. Stages In Becoming A Stepfamily
Doing something about it - Partners speak their dissatisfactions.
Strengthening pair ties - New couple solidify their ties to each other and make efforts to bond with stepchildren.
Recurring change - Stepfamily is constantly in flux.

8. Tasks for Blended Families
Acknowledge losses and changes.
Nurture the new marriage.
Integrate stepfather into child’s life.
Allow time for relationship between partner and children to develop.

9. Tasks for Blended Families
Have realistic expectations.
Accept stepchildren.
Establish own family rituals.
Decide how money is to be spent.
Give parental authority to spouse.

10. Tasks for Blended Families
Support child’s relationship with absent parent.
Cooperate with child’s biological parents/co parent.
Support child’s relationship with grandparents.
Anticipate diversity.