Step-parents often experience rejection and anger from the step-child in the teenage years. After giving so much loving care over the years, it can be more than a parent can bear when the child seemingly turns against them in the teen years.
In our Heartlight residential program, I daily help step-families in the midst of such turmoil. Our work begins following a plea for help, similar to the note I received today…
“My husband and I have been married since my daughter was two years old. Her biological father has had very little to do with her. My daughter constantly argues with her step-father and will not stop. He sometimes responds by becoming angry. I simply cannot handle this any longer. “
Step-parents can take it very personally when a step-child seemingly rejects them. It’s hard for them to understand how a child they helped raise could so suddenly become hateful, mean, and angry. Continue reading “Step-Family Teen Troubles”