Stephanie Irby Coard is an associate professor of human development and family studies at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. She says learn all you can about your stepchildren and the preexisting family dynamics.
Coard says it’s important to have transparent discussions about the child’s history, including their temperament, personality and any special needs. All of this helps stepparents who are working to understand their stepchildren.
Coard says it’s also important to examine your own relational history and how comfortable you are with kids.
“I think it’s really important to also give voice to feelings of resistance or fear or anxiety that a potential stepparent may have around parenting,” Coard says.