Today, when we think of family, no single image comes to mind. Nowadays, the typical family structure includes blended families, single parent families and same-sex parent families.
With this in mind, we have asked parent bloggers to share their experiences raising their families in today’s world.
BlendedDadUK has kindly shared his parenting and family experiences.
Q: How did the family construct in which you now live evolve?
Our blended family formed quite soon after my divorce from my previous marriage. Worrying about my kids, I was always mindful that my children should dictate the pace as to how much my now fiance had to do with their lives. It just so happens both my son and daughter took their future Step-Mum to their hearts and clearly love having her around. It helps that they are young and accepting children and equally my partner has invested in developing those relationships. Now my fiance is fully immersed into family life but I am aware this is all new to her (she’s younger and doesn’t have children yet) and there are naturally times when she feels overwhelmed. As a result, our family continues to evolve but through the process we are all learning a lot about each other and the new dynamic we find ourselves in. It is fun and exciting.
Q: How do people in your environment respond to your family? Have you ever felt discriminated against as a family? If so, how did you handle the situation?
First and foremost, those who are closest to me were just delighted to see that I was happy after a turbulent marriage. My parents are delighted that I’ve not only found somebody who appreciates me but also loves their grandchildren. Although we’ve never felt discriminated against, society still celebrates the “conventional” family unit. If I ever hear my children described as coming from a “broken home” there is a good chance the person who dared utter those words would be taken off my Christmas Card list! There is nothing “broken” about a home which is full of love, laughter and kindness. Such family units should be celebrated. I firmly believe that it is these environments which will give children the greatest opportunity to shine. My kids have a loving relationship modeled in the home and surely this is more beneficial for them than to see two adults lacking warmth towards each other.
Q: On a scale of 0 to 10: How much do you feel your family model is accepted by society? (0 = not accepted at all, 10 = fully accepted)
7 out of 10.
As every family is unique, we want to hear from parent bloggers with different structures and experiences. If you are a parent blogger and would like to take part in the We Are Family series, please get in touch with sophie.moran(at)care.com. Hashtags: #wearefamily #familyforeveryone #familyfirst
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