Marriage is not only a union of two people like most societies tend to perceive it. It entails the merging of two entire families, including the children of your partner. Recent family reports in Australia show that divorce cases are increasing. One is left to wonder how this is happening given the presence of many centers offering family therapy. However, it is not a must that you visit a registered psychologist Melbourne in order to ensure there is harmony in your family. There are some guidelines you can follow to ensure that your blended family is in harmony.
Have a strong foundation.
When a relationship has love, respect, and support as its pillars, it can stand to any weight of challenges thrust upon it. Marriages have trying moments and only those who have an interest in what is best for the relationship are able to survive. Ensure that you support each other from the beginning as both of you are teammates in the relationship. If things are set right from the base, then you are very unlikely to lack harmony in the family.
Develop a bond
In family therapy, one is made to understand the essence of time in such a relationship. You should not hurry things as anything that is not done right will come back in one way or another to haunt you. The experiences in different activities and the time given to allow change combines and become a factor that holds the family together. You can organize simple activities such as occasional outings, a night movie, or even a family game. Coming together just before bedtime to discuss how your day was, also creates a bond.
Deliberate on the stepparent’s role.
Family reports in Australia also show that those partners that talk more have fewer conflicts. Parenting is a very tricky stage of life where one is not allowed to do guesswork. You have to be sure of how to deal with children of different ages. Each of the partners should be actively involved in the lives of the children according to the roles you assigned yourselves as the parent and stepparent. Although family therapy advises that the final word should belong to the actual parent, differences in views should be discussed respectfully.
Talk frequently about blending families.
Constant discussions help you find your way through the many difficulties as a family. Do not shy away from talks on what type of relationships should be maintained with exes who are the children’s parents. Try to support openness and consciousness in the children to the numerous “stakeholders” of the family. This may include other stepchildren, the other parent and even the husband or wife of the other parent.
Conclusion
With these guidelines, one can avoid the cost of family therapy. If the methods described still do not address your problem, you should consider visiting a psychologist. Visiting these days can be done online, for example in Skype therapy. It is possible for blended families to live together without conflicts but it requires determination from all the parties involved.
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