Being a parent can be a tough job – even tougher as a stepparent. When you’re new to it, it can be downright intimidating. It takes love, understanding and a tremendous amount of patience. However, there are some rules that can guide you and help you keep your kids on the straight and narrow when times get tough.
These seven tips from Clark & Clark LLC will help you finely tune your children’s morale compass.
Set Ground Rules
Talk to your spouse about ground rules. You need a plan if you want the child to behave according to a certain set of guidelines all the time.
Forging a united front is one of the cornerstones of effective parenting.
You can’t have different rules than your spouse, so make sure you’re both on the same page. If you’re not, it could create tension between you and your child as well as the missus.
Address Parental Issues Quickly
Let your stepchild know you’re aware you aren’t their mom or dad. A simple conversation can let them know you don’t want to replace their parent, but you do need them to follow the rules when you’re in charge. This simple tip will go along ways to building trust and respect.
Let Biology Play A Role
Have the biological parent dole out discipline whenever possible. You don’t want to ‘tattle’ on a child, but you do want consequences to come from a biological parent, at least at the beginning of the parenting relationship. This is especially important with older children.
Make Time For Kids
Spend one on one time with your child doing things that are fun!
Establishing a solid relationship with your stepchild is paramount in engendering trust and respect. Play a sport, eat an ice cream cone – what you do doesn’t matter, but the bond you build does.
Divide Affection Fairly
Divide attention fairly between biological children and stepchildren. Unfortunately, this is something many blended families neglect and it can quickly place a wedge in the family, A stepchild can act out if they feel unloved or like they aren’t as important as others in the house.
Always Stay Positive
Keep a positive attitude with your children. The example you set for your children will have an ever-lasting effect. Each day you’ll need to reevaluate how you feel and make sure you’re being positive. If you’re not, kids can feel it and may act out to get attention. If you feel yourself getting overwhelmed at any given time, simply walk away and regroup.
Plan Family Meetings Regularly
Have family meetings including everyone to discuss problems and activities. It’s essential to have everyone contribute, regardless of age. Having one larger family unit is the goal and will keep kids grounded and less likely to get in trouble.
Having a stepchild can be a very difficult process, especially if you’re integrating two different family units. However, it is possible to keep your step child on the path to a successful life.
These seven tips should be your basic outline for how to do it, though you’ll need to apply logic and basic rules of parenting as well.
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