#1. Stepfamily relationships are everywhere.
- One out of three children under 18 lives in a stepfamily.
- One out of four new marriages creates a stepfamily.
- 42% of American adults are currently in a close step relationship.
#2. The challenges are intense.
- The phrase “blended family” does not describe the daily experience of most people who live in a stepfamily, especially in the early years.
- The challenges can be overwhelming for both adults and kids.
#3. What works is not intuitive.
- Blogs, tweets, and Facebook pages are dispensing well-meaning, but all too often, misleading advice.
#4. We do know what works! Get practical, research-informed directions for building a thriving stepfamily:
- Order Surviving and Thriving in Stepfamily Relationships: What Works and What Doesn’t, an accessible, engaging, evidence-based guide for stepfamily members, clinicians, and others who want to help.
- Order The Stepfamily Handbook: From Dating, to Getting Serious, to Forming a “Blended Family”, a guide for parents and anyone in love with a parent, from the first meeting, to involving kids, to forming a successful stepfamily.
Want to learn more about how to be helpful?
Contact Dr. Papernow to offer a workshop, webinar, or consultation (phone or in-person) for therapists, school personnel, legal and medical professionals, and others on the “front lines” with these families.