Marriage & Family L5

Marriage and Family : Marriage and Family Lesson 5

Children & Step families : Children & Step families

Step Family : Step Family 1 in 3 people in America have a step family relationship. Divorce & remarriage are scriptural under two circumstances: Abandonment 1 Cor 7:13-15 Infidelity Matt 19:9

Step Family : Step Family Step Families greatest loss is to children lose contact with family continuity – consistency/ predictability lose control of lives Remarriage for adult is gain but for child is loss. Divided loyalties (teenagers) “You are not my dad/ mom, & I don’t have to do it.” Is a loyalty issue @ heart. Must know it is not personal, it is loss of natural parent. People going in aren’t usually prepared for what is ahead. After divorce you need 1-3 years to recover before remarriage. Children need even more time than adult.

Step Family : Step Family Divorce doesn’t end family life it just reorganizes the family. The 2 divorcees must still continue a relationship & must still resolve issues that they could not resolve in marriage. When two elephants fight the grass suffers. The elephants many times aren’t even aware of the grass. Bad mouthing ex-spouse in front of children devastates children. You are speaking against 50% of the child. You can only trample grass so long before it wont grow any more. Practical Suggestions Compartmentalize relationships. In the early years most important. Spend time separate and apart from the step-parent. Date spouse separate and apart from the children. For step-families couples Honeymoon is not until end not at the beginning.