National Step Family Day – In today’s modern world stepfamilies are everywhere! Which is why Christy Borgeld founded the day now celebrated every year for the past eighteen years!
Did you know that one in three American citizens live in a stepfamily and 30% of children are currently growing up in a stepfamily?
According to a study it can take several years for a child to form a bond with a stepfather or mother. But once that bond is formed it can be fantastic! I have a friend who considers himself just as close (if not closer) to his stepdad!
However it’s not always a walk in the park to begin with. The children involved can get jealous of the attention their parent is spending on the step-parent to begin with. Stepbrothers and sisters can also sometimes be part of the deal …
And having a new step-parent suggests the family has previously been through a divorce. Divorce is a huge ordeal for any family to go through and can take a lot of adjusting to the new changes.
For a while there can be feelings of hostility, jealousy and guilt flying around the house – not a healthy environment for anyone to be living in!
Did you know that another term for stepfamilies are blended family? Because that’s what happens! Current members of the family mix with new members until they become comfortable and happy with each other!
And, there are special blended family ceremonies that can be arranged? Because it’s not just about the merging of the bride and groom – but all the other family members at once!
On the National Step Family Day website there is lots of great information and there are also pages available that focus on different aspects of the stepfamily. For example, stepdads have a page of their own!
Support forums and numbers that allow you to call someone if you’re struggling with the new reality of being in a step-family are available too.
This National Step Family Day why not ask the rest of the family to spend the day together? That means getting out of the house and into the outdoors, or do something else fun brings you together for the day and sees you focusing on each other. Good luck!