The Blended Family Life Cycle

ABSTRACT

Blended families face unique challenges that differ greatly from those encountered by nuclear families. Societal stereotypes that view blended families as abnormal, taking nuclear family functioning as the prototype for all family units, create a lack of role clarity for each of the members involved. Although many strategies exist with which to help families, many are based on nuclear family systems and thus are inapplicable to blended families. The creation of a blended family life cycle specific to blended family systems could help members of a blended family create a successful family unit as they work with a counselor.

KEYWORDS:

• Biological parent
• blended family
• blended family life cycle (BFLC)
• counselors
• family life cycle (FLC)
• guidelines
• stepchild
• stepparent