Love may be sweeter the second time around, but once the bliss of a
newfound relationship wears off a little, the reality of being part of a
stepfamily sets in. If you are one of the millions of remarried
Americans facing the challenge of blending two existing families into
one cohesive whole, you are part of a stepcouple--and you know all too
well how hard it can be to make your marriage work in sometimes tough
terrain.
Different parenting styles, finances, relationships with ex-spouses,
legal matters, and even seemingly simple issues such as the kinds of
chores assigned to children can chisel away at your union if you don't
always make your marriage a priority.
Stepcoupling offers advice for stepcouples on how to do just that--all
the while strengthening their blended family with a healthy marriage.
Susan Wisdom and Jennifer Green provide tips and strategies on dealing
with the issues remarried couples face, with a wealth of advice from
real-life stepcouples, such as:
* Learning to tailor your expectations of your spouse or children and
remembering that no family is perfect
* Knowing where your boundaries are, whether involving a hostile
ex-spouse or a stepchild who demands too much attention
* Realizing that traits like flexibility, tolerance, forgiveness, and
openness are especially essential in a stepfamily situation
* Making "us" time for talking, problem-solving, weekends away, and
enjoying your marriage to constantly renew and strengthen your bond as a
couple
Let this invaluable remarriage manual help you make your stepcouple the
foundation of a strong, happy, and successful stepfamily.
