3 Tips To Deal With A Stepchild Who Hates Their New Parents

Adjusting to a new stepfamily may surely take some time. There may be a period that is a little rough where a stepchild and their new parents just don’t click. If you are a step-parent and you feel that your stepchild hates you, the right thing to do is to be consistent, patient, and empathetic. While this can surely be something challenging to many, processing this huge familial shift as a child can feel emotionally overwhelming and it’s the job of the step-parent to be kind throughout this difficult moment.

Understand The Needs of Your Stepchild

Kids, regardless of their age, may feel a sense of abandonment by one or both biological parents. They may start feeling nervous and uncomfortable as their family system changes and grows to include a new person. As your new marriage blossoms, some children may feel as if they are in some kind of competition with a step-parent for the attention of their biological parent. In order to work towards unifying the expanding family, people should prioritize the needs of the kids. Children need to feel:

• Cared for
• Valuable
• Safe
• Like what they say matters
• Prioritized

Connect With Your Stepchild

Adolescents surely have the hardest time adjusting to a step-parent as they have grown accustomed to one household living and style of parenting. Children of ages 10-14 are going through a lot of developmental changes. Add this to the on-going family changes in this strange and confusing mix and this can leave kids feeling scared, overwhelmed, anxious, and like they lack any semblance of control. The right thing to do is to offer them healthy ways to deal with their emotions by remaining empathetic and open.

Working Towards a Relationship

Building a happy blended family can be rather difficult for everyone involved. Working towards this relationship with a stepchild who doesn’t like their parents is a common experience for many of them. Although it can feel heartbreaking and frustrating to deal with this kind of dynamic in the home, it’s quite important to remain calm, kind, and empathetic throughout the process without losing the great potential relationship on the horizon.