Survey--what would you consider "crossing the line" for a step parent?

Question

I'm not a step parent, but I know a lot of them...My sons have a stepmom, and my husband is a stepdad...I also have friends that are step parents. I've heard all KINDS of arguments on rights and boundaries... I'm just wondering if anyone has experience dealing with it?

Answer 1

Anything thing you could do that would make the child feel uncomfortable is crossing the line I think.

Especially if you jump right into it and think automatically the child is going to like you and be perfect and do everything you say. Trying to hit the kid or talk bad about them or their real parent it defiantly crossing the line and just will add more problems into your life and theirs - because they will never respect you and then they will not have a good relationship with your husband/wife (their parent that is with you) because they are with someone who talks bad about their other parent.

First .. most kids will have a grumpy view of the situation depending on the age they are so I guess they stepmom/dad would have to watch about everything they do .... even trying to bold a little too much or trying to hard to get along would be crossing the line.

Answer 2

I have been a step-parent for almost 20 years. I have an excellent relationship with my steps. When the kids were small, I did not give them special rules to live by in our house. If my kids had certain rules, the same applied to any child in our house. Also friends. Everyone was treated equally. The only thing different was that I did occasionally spank our kids, but never spanked his. That is overstepping the boundaries, in my opinion.

Answer 3

What do mean by crossing the line? My wife is a step parent and when we became serious, we established that we are the parents and my daughter was the child. We were to set the examples and discipline when needed. I told my wife what I expected and we told my daughter how it would be. Its our roost and we rule it not her. Everything worked out so well. I believe that its because we had everything out in the open from the start.

Answer 4

I think presenting yourself to others (such as to schools, coaches, etc.) as the parent is crossing the line.

To get very accurate answers you would need to be a little more specific. If the natural mother was NOT in the picture and I married the child's father, of course I would say I was his/ her mother to others. My answer was presuming that both parents are active in the child's life and that both are responsible parents.

Answer 5

i don't sense like that's suitable. mothers and fathers shouldn't stress babies to call a step ensure mom or dad. the only way this turns into suited is that if the newborn does it from own unfastened will, in many circumstances in circumstances the place a organic and organic ensure dies whilst the newborn is youthful and the step ensure has been there their total lifestyles. Or a matching difficulty.