If you get remarried, you will have to contemplate a future in which your current family and spouse’s family share the same Texas home. Although the transition process may be awkward and trying for everyone involved, there are a few tactics you can try to make it as easy and quick as possible.
Establish boundaries
Creating boundaries may be especially important if your kids are significantly older or younger than your spouse’s kids. It may also be important if you have a son who is now living with your spouse’s daughter or vice versa. Ideally, each child will have a room or at least a portion of the house to have some privacy while sleeping or having friends over.
Be careful when enforcing the rules
It’s critical to remember that your spouse’s kids are unlikely to see you as an authority figure on par with their mother or father. Furthermore, if the other parent is still in the picture, your authority may be limited further still by the terms of a divorce settlement or similar type of agreement. You may want to discuss with your spouse how rules will be created and enforced, and depending on how old the kids are, you may want to include them in this conversation as well.
Talk to your kids
Make it clear to your children that you are always there for them regardless of who their other roommates may be. If your kids don’t feel comfortable talking to you, it may be worthwhile to seek professional help. It would be best to look for signs of depression, such as poor grades, trouble sleeping or a diminished appetite.
Blending a family after a divorce is often complex as you’re trying to build a new life without necessarily being able to escape your old one completely. However, it’s important to be civil to your former partner and make decisions that are in your child’s best interest, even if they are inconvenient for you.
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