Building strengths in stepfamilies

The Vishers are experts in helping stepfamilies come together. They suggest that remarried couples should: 1) nurture the couple relationship so that the new marriage will survive and thrive 2) find person space and time to relax and unwind from the challenges of a stepfamily 3) nurture family relationships by spending time with each of the new family members 4) maintain a close parent-child relationship 5) focus on the stepparent-stepchild relationship 6) build family trust 7) stengthen stepfamily ties through a family discussion every week or two 8) work at keeping the bridges open to the children´s other household so that co-parenting can work smoothly