Getting to know your step children is the first step when creating a bond and forming a relationship with them. This may take a long time and perseverance on your part. In the process of forming a relationship, there are other things that cannot be put off within the step family unit.
One of such things is the discipline of the step children. This obviously is a very sensitive topic, but at the end of the day has to be talked about.
Discipline can be meted out in different ways. It could be the withdrawal of privileges, enforcing ground rules in the house, time out, etc.
As a step parent it is important to understand the way your spouse disciplines his/her children. This could be different to the way you are used to doing things hence the importance of you knowing what to expect from your spouse when the children need discipline.
A lot of research advocates that the birth parent be responsible for carrying out discipline and one of the reasons for this is the child may not understand the concept of an outsider disciplining them and it may have a negative impact on them.
As a step parent, you may find yourself in a situation where you are taking care of very young kids who may need to be disciplined if your spouse is not at home. In situations like this, it would be proper to discuss this with your spouse to determine what you are allowed to do in terms of discipline.
If you have been left responsible with a young child then your spouse may allow you to use your discretion in disciplining your step child. Due to the age of the child, it may be easier for them to accept discipline from you.
If however you have teenagers as step children, your spouse may be placed in charge of the discipline. However, such things as enforcing a ground rule in the house for example if it is their turn to do the dishes and they try to get out of it, you may want to bring it to their attention and remind them of the consequences of not carrying out that particular task
No comments:
Post a Comment