Hey Latonya, I enjoyed reading your post. Blended families are becoming more and more common. There are some blended families in my extended family. One of the problems I have seen is that the stepparent does not feel as if they have any authority to discipline their stepchildren. They leave the discipline to their stepchildren’s biological parent, which can cause some issues to arise within the family. Often times, newly blended families will disagree on methods of discipline and even what’s considered appropriate and inappropriate behavior. As a result, it is important for counselors to help these newly formed families to remain intact. According to Gonzales (2015) nearly half of all Americans have one or more step-relationships in their family. Children and adolescents in these families often experience stress because of having to learn how to get along with their new siblings and parents (Gonzales, 2015). In order to help blended families adjust to their new lives, Gonzales (2015) has proposed pre-blended family counseling. He goes onto say that it focuses on the things to come, rather than what is (Gonzales, 2015). As counselors it is critical for us to help couples have the courage to discuss their feelings. It is also important for counselors to focus on the needs of the children as well. According to McWhirter, McWhirter, McWhirter, and McWhirter (2013), children and adolescents may experience feelings of uneasiness in their new families (p. 92). When children and adolescents enter into a blended family they face a series of new expectations, procedures and …show more content…
(2009). Prefamily counseling: Working with blended families. Journal of Divorce and Remarriage, 50(2), 148-57. doi: 10.1080/10502550802365862
McWhirter, J.J., McWhirter, B.T., McWhirter, E.H., & McWhirter, R.J. (2013). At-risk youth: A comprehensive response for counselors, teachers, psychologists, and human service professionals (5th ed., p. 92). Belmont, CA: