Blended Family

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1. Children from a previous union of respective parents are brough into a single-family unit, resulting in interpersonal conflict, anger, and frustration.

2. Resistance and defiance on the part of a child toward his/her new stepparent.

3. Open conflict between siblings with different parents now residing as siblings in the same family system.

4. Overt or covert defiance of the stepparent by one or more several siblings.

5. Verbal threats to the biological parent of going to live with the other parent, report abuse, and so on.

6. Interference from ex-spouse in the daily life of the new family system.

7. Anxiety and concern by both new partners regarding bringing their two families together.

8. No clear lines of communication or responsibilities assigned within the blended family, making for confusion, frustration, and unhappiness.

9. Internal conflicts regarding loyalty to the noncustodial parent result in distance from the stepparent.