Question

Based on Chapter 6, Reading 18 (Page 233) of book Family in Transition by Skolnick & Skolnick

Q. Discuss some of the challenges that blended families and stepfamilies face.

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Answer 1

Stepfamilies and blended families face challenges that are unique in nature. As the number of such families are increasing in the society, and most of the divorced mothers with children remarry the stress and challenges that these families face needs at social and public level, in policy making, so that welfare of such families are addressed appropriately. The challenges that these families face are:

• Social challenge: As society have propagated a negative image of step parenting and blended families, it continues to haunt the image of such families. The norms project a negative perception and though the reality may be different. Remarriage of divorced or widowed or single mothers provides them with financial assistance and helps them to rise them above poverty. Because of this negative image, many of the mothers get divorced after a five years of marriage in average, making vulnerable them to live in poverty with the children.
• Financial challenge: As the rate of mothers of remarrying is higher, the biological fathers who are unknown in single mother household do not support their children,hence, it's becomes the responsibility of the step father to look for the expenses of children, which may become burdensome. Also, in divorce cases the biological father may provide with some financial support, but, again when those individuals remarry, they would have to support their step children, causing financial burden.
• Psychological challenge: Normal the children in their teens find hard to accept their step parents, this may create many problems in the relationship between them, and may also, give rise stress and strain in the family. Also, such stress in relationship makes these teenagers to move out of the family making vulnerable to poverty, drug abuse or crime. Also, such stress and tension may result in divorces.