Jessie, the character Wood started playing in the show's pilot at age 11, has already gone through the trauma of her parents' divorce, a bout with anorexia, and the uncomfortable formation of a
stepfamily. Wood could relate to the divorce, since her own parents--who ran a theater company in Raleigh, N.C.--split when she was 9 (which was followed by a move with her mom and older brother to Los Angeles).
children under 18 are connected to a
stepfamily, Pasley says.
For some adolescents, the dynamics of living in a
stepfamily adds another level of complexity.
Another excellent site offering advice to grandparents in a
stepfamily situation is www.parentline.co.uk .
Regardless of the role women adopt, communication and time are the real keys to turning a new
stepfamily relationship into a healthy family circle.
It includes more than 100 cards for
stepfamily members, adoptive families, single-parent families, extended and combined families.
You could call the National
Stepfamily Association for more advice on 0990 168388.
Remarriage - about two-thirds of women and three-quarters of men remarry after divorce - solves some problems but not others: Though the income of a
stepfamily is usually equivalent to that of a first marriage, children are "two to three times more likely to suffer emotional and behavior problems and nearly twice as likely to have developmental or learning problems as children in intact families"; stepchildren are also more likely to drop out of school, become unwed teen mothers, and have difficulty holding steady jobs as young adults.
After spending some time with Sequoyah and his
stepfamily, Uwahali leaves with a new understanding of his fathers accomplishments.
Stepping in, Stepping Out: Creating
Stepfamily Rhythm
Being part of a
stepfamily can be tricky for all at first, but this stepmother has been very accommodating to these two children - who are now adults - and ought to know better.
Meanwhile, you can find help through the National
Stepfamily Resource Center (stepfamilies.info).
