Blended Family Podcast

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com It is so important to bond with your stepchildren.  Your stepchildren will always be a part of your partners life, therefore will be a part of yours.  We are all built with an innate quality to love and cherish our children unconditionally.  We don’t have the same built in feelings about stepchildren.  The relationship with our stepchildren needs work to grow.     Age plays a big role in how we bond with stepchildren.     Elementary school kids are easiest to adapt to their parents new partner.  At this age, children are less judgemental and more willing to give and receive love.  The best ways to bond with children this age are to do a lot of talking and listening.  Discipline is also essential at this age to help establish respect and boundaries.  Other ideas are to play together, take part in their daily rituals, or bake something in the kitchen.  Love, interest, and attention is what they need to help form a bond.   Pre teens and teenagers are