Foster new family relationships

It can take years for a new stepfamily to adjust to living together. Your child doesn't have a shared family history with his or her new stepparent or stepsiblings, and they may have different beliefs and ways of doing things. A child also might feel that liking a new stepparent makes him or her disloyal to another parent.

Don't pressure your child or other family members to make new relationships work right away or to be physically affectionate. Instead, encourage all family members to spend time getting to know one another and to treat each other with decency and respect. To help your child form bonds, you might identify shared interests among members of your blended family.

Early on, the stepparent might view his or her role as being a kind of camp counselor. Once the stepparent and child develop a strong connection, the stepparent can become involved in disciplining the child.