The days of The Brady Bunch TV hour in which America got to watch as two divorced parents remarried and merged their families together in one happy and untroubled coexistence are long gone. The show was fun but not very realistic. Today, as divorce and remarriage have become the norm, we see in an increase in the number of stepfamilies. In The Brady Bunch the transition was rather seamless and it didn’t appear that the parents had to do much to make the dynamics work. However, we now know that there are a number of things that family members can do to help build healthy stepfamily relationships.
There are many things to consider when combining two families. First of all, the children might still be reeling from the divorce and loss of the other parent in their daily lives. Or, the child might be dreaming that his or her parents will reunite and this new situation is putting an end to that hope. And, the child might feel intimidated by new siblings and even the new stepparent. The child might also be worried that he or she is going to lose the attention or love of the parent to the other new siblings.
It’s an especially important time to make sure that as a parent you are listening closely and showing empathy for your child’s feelings. Acknowledge their concerns, address them with solutions and know that it will take time for your child or children to heal. Help them to get to know their new family members by discussing like-minded feelings, values and interests. Encourage the new blended family to stay positive and take time to develop new relationships so they don’t feel pressured to automatically coexist in harmony.
One of the best ways for parents who are combining two separate families together to address the new lifestyle is to start with an online parenting class. Parenting courses for stepfamilies are designed to teach caregivers the most effective tips and techniques for raising a united, well-balanced and happy family. Often parents find it’s difficult to get to a quality in-person class because of busy schedules or the closest one is miles away and getting there is a hassle.
Take the stress out of your learning experience by taking a parenting class online rather than in a traditional classroom. Quality online parenting programs are available from any web-based computer device in the comfort of your own home, at work, at the library, local coffee shop or even while you are sitting and waiting for your child’s gym class to end. They can be taken at any time of the day or night and completely at your own pace. This means the parents can sit together on the couch at home to learn the material, whenever they have free time.
Online parenting classes address the best ways for parents to speak to their kids, the importance of listening, anger and conflict resolution, boundary and limit setting and appropriate rewards and discipline. They also include information on how to deal with stepfamily dynamics and major parenting mistakes to avoid.
The goal of an online parenting class for stepfamilies to teach caregivers how to understand and deal with the stress their kids are going through during this new transition. Taking an online class is an educational way to improve your skills for overall family happiness and stability.