Dear Mr. Dad. I’m marrying a woman who has two teenagers from her previous marriage. This is my first marriage and, although I like her kids, I’m a little worried about how I’ll do as a stepfather of teens. Any suggestions?
A: About half of all marriages are remarriages for at least one of the partners, many of whom, like your fiancée, have children from a previous relationship. I get your worries about starting your fatherhood experience off with teens (instead of the usual way, with an infant). The most valuable advice I can give you is to keep your expectations reasonable and be patient.
There’s not a lot of social support out there and your role in the new family isn’t always clear. Fortunately, you’re not alone. In fact, there are over 2.5 million families (including more than 6.5 million kids) made up of a biological mother and a bonus father (many prefer that term to the harsher-sounding “stepfather.”)
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Photo by joel herzog on Unsplash
