Merging two families is tough, especially when there are children involved. Kids that were once strangers are now siblings. You may have confusing feelings about seeing your former spouse remarried. You may be struggling to establish your role as a stepparent. It all can seem incredibly overwhelming. Thankfully, blended family mediation can assist you in these important aspects and more. The West Coast Family Mediation Center has a team of experienced and compassionate mediators that have helped countless families come together after re-marriage. You can listen to our mediatorsdiscuss blended family mediation on a recent podcast for DivorceBuddy. Here are just some of the many benefits you can experience when you utilize blended family mediation services.
Establishing Parenting Roles
As parents and stepparents, you need to establish clear authority roles and processes for dealing with inevitable parenting situations. Stepparents have to respect the biological parent’s ability to make decisions while maintaining a certain level of authority. No one wants to be (or should be) a doormat. Part of successfully achieving a balance is laying down a solid set of ground rules that you and your new spouse agree upon. A family mediator will guide your conversation in an informative and productive manner to create a useful set of house rules. After blended family mediation, you should have a clear expectation of your role in the children’s day-to-day lives and how to handle the unexpected, if it should arise.
Get on the Same Schedule
Life is hard to organize with one set of parents. Add another set of adults and their respective schedules in the mix and things can get downright complicated. Finding time for everyone to be informed and involved in the children’s activities is hard but not impossible. Blended family mediation can help all parties develop a creative way to communicate effectively, so everyone feels included and valued.
Establishing Communication Methods
Learning how to communicate with parents or stepparents can be a bumpy road. There can be a lot of “he said/she said” and games of telephone that happen between visits. Unfortunately, children often bear the stress of being a messenger, which is a lot of pressure and causes significant stress. Establishing designated communication methods, learning how and when to communicate are one of the many things you will discuss during blended family mediation.
If you or your former spouse has remarried and you are interested in blended family mediation, contact the West Coast Family Mediation today. Call (858) 736-2411 to schedule your consultation.