Week 9 Part 1: Restory / Part 2 Future Research

Week 6: Overview

Mutual Child Stepfamilies

Finding your place in the world is a life long process.  Being able to create your identity can be difficult with the residual stressors of family, community, religion, and other forces that push back to force you into a corner.  These challenges are hard for a typical family, imagine the depth of struggle for stepfamilies. 

Children's challenges can sometimes go unheard.  As you read through Chapter 7, Mutual Child Stepfamilies, the text begins to shine a light on the difficulties they may face in the stepfamily dynamic.  Moreover, the text shares about the experiences of mutual-child stepfamilies, the dominant social myths about mutual child stepfamilies, and myth reconstruction with implications.

For week 6, you will be asked to read Chapter 7 closely, read the article "Living in a Stepfamily: The Child's View", and complete your discussion post.  There is not a reflection assignment this week.

Objectives

By the end of this week, students will:

· Discuss the experiences of mutual child stepfamilies

· Discuss the dominant social myths about mutual child stepfamilies

· Reconstruct myths about mutual child stepfamilies.

Week 6: Lecture

Experiences of Mutual Child Stepfamilies

Stepfamilies often experience varying degrees of emotional and interpersonal changes when children are involved.  While the research does not offer any clear cut answers to coping with these challenges when they arise, the research does in fact, provide stages to be aware of that may increase the likelihood of a successful blend.

There are three stages mentioned that offer some help.  In stage 1, the early stage, adults attempt to create an instant family and the children still hold onto hope of mutual parents reconciling.  In stage 2, the middle stage, adults and children have some common ground but there are elements of considering termination.  In stage 3, the established remarriage stage, genuine connections have been made and all parties involved feel like insiders- no more margins.

Limited research neither supports nor negates the fact that a mutual child will improve the emotional bonds of a step family.

Week 6: Lecture

Dominant Social Myths of Mutual Child Stepfamilies

This section provides dialogue on the dominant social myths of mutual child stepfamilies. Upon close review of each of the dominant social myths, it becomes quite clear the amount of stress placed on the family and any subsequent child. The myths highlight the misunderstanding of the impact of the mutual child. For example, you are reminded that the mutual child will not glue the family together, it won't offer stability, the mutual child may not be readily accepted, both parents may not be excited about the new addition, and the mutual child cannot be a replacement child from the first marriage. Take some time to view the presentation Validating Children in Stepfamilies by Dr. Patricia Papernow.

https://youtu.be/fiZ1bNB5YnY

Week 6: Activities

Readings

Please read the following for this week as well as All Week 6 Online Course Materials:

·  Gold, J. M. (2015). Stepping In, Stepping Out: Creating Stepfamily Rhythm. Wiley.

· Chapter 7 

· Amato, P.R. (n.d.) Living in a Stepfamily: The Child’s View