The stepfamily has become a common type of household all around the world (The Watchtower, 1999). Yet, stepfamilies have unique problems. When a first marriage breaks up, the cause is often the immaturity of one or more of the spouses. In a second marriage, dealing with the children has the greatest impact on the relationship. Studies show that forty percent of stepfamilies end in divorce within the first five years.

Many parents fail to recognize and deal with the emotional turmoil, the conflicts of loyalty, and the feelings of jealousy and resentment that the stepparent's presence raises in the stepchildren (The Watchtower, 1999). Some children feel that their new stepparent has s

Possibly the most important resource a stepfamily has is the members of the family themselves. While relationships in many stepfamilies are tense, stepparents can make positive contributions to their stepchildren's lives (McLanahan, 2001). If stepfamilies survive the early "crisis" years, then close and supportive relationships between stepparents and stepchildren are very possible. Research shows that these relationships can serve as key resources for children's development and emotional well-being.

Stepfamilies have a high rate of success in raising healthy children. Eighty percent of the children are healthy and normal.

The biggest source of problems for kids in stepfamilies is parental conflict that stems from the first marriage. Stepfamilies alone have little to do with most of the issues faced by stepchildren.

While most parents view stepfamilies positively, children are often less enthusiastic (McLanahan, 2001). Stepfamily formation is stressful for many children because it often involves becoming part of a new family unit, adapting to new people in the household, and learning new ways of life. In addition, early relationships between stepparents and stepchildren are often unstable. Children, especially older children, are accustomed to greater autonomy in single-parent households. They may initially resent the monitoring and supervision by stepparents and react with hostility when stepparents try to show authority. Some children feel loyalty conflicts and fear that becoming close to a stepparent implies betraying their biological parent. And for some children, remarriage ends any lingering hopes that their two biological parents will reconcile.

It is widely known that second marriages are less stable than first marriages; however, it is less understood that many second marriages are very successful (Rutter, 1994). Stepfamilies face instability, but that uncertainty typically occurs early

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