Building Stepfamilies That Work provides
the information, exercises, discussion, assignments, and support that will give you the
tools to emerge as a successful, Neotraditional stepfamily.According
to a ten-year, longitudinal study of stepfamilies, Dr. James
Bray, concluded that three very distinct stepfamily types emerge over time:
1)
Romantic: The Romantic type almost always fails because they fail to
acknowledge the reality of the underlying issues that need to be addressed.
They therefore never develop the skills and strategies necessary to gel
into a functional stepfamily.
2)
Matriarchal: Some Matriarchal stepfamilies survive; but many fail.
They are characterized by a very “take charge”, effective woman, and
a man (usually without kids of his own) who is drawn to her because of her
competence. Their stepfamily is most
likely to fail soon after they have a child together.
3)
Neotraditional: Neotraditional stepfamilies almost always succeed.
They acknowledge the underlying issues and acquire the skills necessary
to address them. They:
Form a strong couple bond that is separate from their earlier relationship,
Systematically integrate the stepparent into the lives and management of the stepchildren,
Develop functional strategies to manage with the nonresidential parent(s), ex-spouses, and extended family, and
Learn to respond adaptively to the many changes that characterize stepfamily life.
Building Stepfamilies That Work provides
the information, exercises, discussion, assignments, and support that will give you the
tools to emerge as a successful, Neotraditional stepfamily.