About the 5-Part Stepfamily Role Play

     One of the 8 Parts in the "Build a High-nurturance Stepfamily Course for co-parents is a group role-play which aims to help 12 or more participants experience some typical new-stepfamily dilemmas. The role play can be used before, during,  or after other course Parts, and requires a prepared facilitator. The five parts of the ~ 3-hour role play are:

• Orientation: the facilitator explains the purpose of the role play and sets some gu9idelines, but does not describe the steps below. People who wish to can observe, rather than participate. (~10")

• Group-members form three or more biofamilies - two co-parents and two or more kids. Fill out an "identity sheet " together that defines who your family is. (~ 40") Facilitator circulates to guide and resolve questions.

• Have each biofamily "divorce," and both ex mates pick a new co-parent (a divorced parent in another biofamily). Re-form into several nuclear stepfamilies with the new couples and two or more of their respective kids. Fill out an identity worksheet together that defines who your new stepfamily is. (~40") Facilitator circulates to guide and resolve questions.

• Plan your stepfamily's first Thanksgiving, and new partners and ex mates decide who eats what and where, and how kids get from one co-parent's home to the other. Try to resolve loyalty and values conflicts that erupt. (40-60") Facilitator answers questions

• A spokesperson for each group collects feedback and describes what their groups Thanksgiving experience was like to the large group. Then re-form the original (large) group, and the facilitator guide a group discussion of  thoughts, feelings, and awarenesses from the whole role-play. (~40-60")

 more role-play detail