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Stepfamily Basics
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7-01) Quiz:
do you know what you need to know about stepfamilies?
7-02)
Stepfamily
basics -
text or slides
7-03)
A real-life example of a
typical new stepfamily
7-04) Questions
stepfamily adults and
supporters should research
7-05) How stepfamilies and
biofamilies are similar
7-06) 30
structural differences between
stepfamilies and typical intact biofamilies
7-07)
30 unique developmental tasks new
stepfamily adults must master
7-08) Extra
developmental phases typical stepfamilies have compared to
intact biofamilies
7-09) Three possible
developmental paths new stepfamilies may follow
7-10) 60 common stepfamily
myths,
expectations, and realities
(8 pages)
7-11) Why
accepting your stepfamily identity
is vital
7-12) Perspective on
who belongs to your stepfamily
7-13) Why and how to use a
genogram to map your stepfamily
members
7-14)
16 things new stepfamily
members must merge
over many years
7-15)
Primary
problems
that cause most stepfamily
stress.
7-16) How to
evaluate stepfamily advice
7-17) How to
choose useful stepfamily books and
materials
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Stepfamily
Courtship and Re/marriage
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Note - the "/" notes it may be a stepparent's first union or
divorce
Review -
five
major causes of stepfamily stress
Review - keys
to a
healthy re/marriage
(Lesson 4)
7-18)
Overview
-
make three wise
courtship-commitment choices!
7-19) Perspective on
cohabiting ("moving in together")
Review:
Worksheet - Our
recent
priorities
Courtship Worksheets
7-20)
16 courtship
danger signs
7-21)
Am I committing to
the right mate,
co-parent/s, and stepkids?
7-22)
Is this the
right
time to
re/marry? -
7-23)
Are we re/marrying
for the right reasons?
7-24)
Ideas on
planning a successful stepfamily
wedding
7-25)
Options if your mate hasn't grieved the death
of their former spouse
Review - Symptoms of
incomplete recovery from prior
divorce (Lesson 4)
Review -
primary-relationship basics
(Lesson 4).
Review -
our
primary-relationship's
strengths
and growth areas (worksheet)
Review - Common
stressors that same-gender
couples will face (Lesson 4)
Review
- Options if your
mate has not mourned their former spouse (Lesson 4)
Resources - Computer-assisted pre-remarriage evaluation programs:
Prepare/Enrich,
REFOCCUS, and
Relate. These are useful, though
they're less detailed than the worksheets above, and they don't evaluate
some key factors like
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Effective
Stepfamily Coparenting
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-
Coparenting basics and typical
stepchild needs
-
Stepparent-stepchild relationships
-
Stepsibling relationships
Review - kids' normal
developmental tasks
Review - What is
effective parenting? (Lesson 6)
7-26) Summary - typical kids' adjustment needs
after bioparents separate (divorce)
7-27)
Typical stepkids' concurrent developmental
and adjustment needs
7-28)
How to assess a child's status with four
sets of special needs.
7-29)
Q & A
about divorcing-family and stepfamily
co-parenting
7-30)
How stepparenting differs from bioparenting
7-31)
Traits of effective stepparents
Review - Options for improving
communications with kids (Lesson 6)
Review -
Effective child discipline Lesson
6)
7-32)
Effective stepchild-discipline
7-33)
Worksheet for clarifying co-parents'
responsibilities
7-34)
How to make co-parent "job descriptions"
7-35)
Resolve conflicts over stepfamily
names and titles
7-36)
Pros and cons of conceiving an "ours"
child in a stepfamily
7-37)
Perspectives on legally adopting your
stepchild
7-38)
Options for reducing adult-stepchild
problems
Review
-
Avoid or resolve
legal
battles among family members (Lesson 4)
Review -
Resolve the <real> problems causing typical
child-custody disputes
Review -
Resolve 3 problems causing child-visitation
disputes
Review - The real issues causing family "money"
disputes
Review to a "disinterested"
bioparent (ex mate)
Review
Self-affirmations
for stressed co-parents
Stepparent-Stepchild
Relationships
7-39)
Q & A about stepchildren
7-40)
Q & A about stepparenting
7-41)
Options for resolving stepparent-stepchild "love"
problems.
Review -
Options for understanding and reducing stepkids'
dishonesty
Stepsibling
Relationships
Review
Basic perspective
on resolving sibling problems (Lesson 6)
7-42) What is
it like to be a half-sibling?
Review
Options for
reducing significant step-sibling hostility (Lesson 4)
Review
Reduce
significant jealousy and envy between stepsiblings.
.
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Common
Problems with Stepfamily Relatives
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Review
- Options for improving relationships among relatives
(Lesson 5)
7-43)
What do co-grandparents and step-grandkids
need? - (3 pages)
7-44) Resolve relatives' resistances to accepting
stepfamily identity
Review - Confront disapproval and rejection
among family relatives (Lesson 5)
Review Manage
"favoritism" conflicts among
relatives - (Lesson 5)
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Special
Stepfamily Issues
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7-45)
Options for reducing holiday
and celebration stress (Lesson 6)
7-46)
Options for successful stepchild
residence-changes
(Lesson 6)
7-47)
Adapt to many family changes when a
co-parent's home relocates
7-48) How to
pick an effective stepfamily counselor
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Resources
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7-49) How to evaluate
stepfamily books, programs, and
advice
7-50) Helpful
books about
topics in Lessons 1 thru 7
7-51) Helpful
Web sites, games,
books, and periodicals for co-parents and supporters
Review -
traits of a high-nurturance family
(Lesson 5)
Review - use
structural
maps to understand and manage your
stepfamily
Review
- An overview of family
systems, and how to use
this concept
Review
- Why family
mission statements are
vital, and how to make one (Lesson 4)
Review:
Options for analyzing and
resolving
most
role and relationship problems (Lesson 4)
Review - An
introduction to
three universal family
conflicts, and what to do about them (Lesson 2)
The Web address of this
index is
http://sfhelp.org/sf/links7.htm
The best way to study these materials is to invest time in
self-improvement 