Many people become members of an extended/blended family whether it’s a death or a divorce that causes a loss of one’s spouse or partner that creates an opportunity for Grandmother’s, Grandfathers, Mother’s, Father’s, Aunt’s and Uncle’s that choose to Re-marry. As most of you know this can be a wonderful opportunity to welcome newcomers into the family.
So much has been written about the pitfalls of extended families and tragic endings But this is about the Joys of having an extended family. For example, how wonderful to find after many years of not having brothers or sisters to all of the sudden you Mother meets and marries a man who brings with him, several children and suddenly you are no longer the only child and life soon fills your once lonely surroundings with love laughter, also with it comes constant companions one being a huge benefit if they are the same age, if everything turns out for the best its one big happy family.
To go even further, fast forward lets say 10 years from now and they are meeting and marrying their own future spouses and they have children and the list goes on and on , they become your family also, you may say to yourself “Oh in a perfect world” but it occasionally still happens and it’s a beautiful thing.
I am going to list a few positive benefits on extended/blended families.
- Children can benefit from having two or more parents and family members in their lives equalling more support for the Children involved.
- Children often do better in academically in school
- Get along better with their peers
- Children benefit from a home where two parents are happy and providing a stable, peaceful and happy environment.
- Helps children to become more established and accepting of new environments
- Possibly financial benefits of becoming a blended family, single parenting can be tough financially
- Can’t have enough love right? some blended families find they have more support by having more family members in their lives.
- Think of how fun those family get together’s can be both in the future and the present moment, the more family the more to love and be loved.
- A Broader view or life and value
- Relationship building and skills
- Children can learn to be more respectful to others because it’s no longer just themselves or a single parent whether being the mother or the father, they could now be facing living in a different environment and learning to accept and to be accepted by their new family members
- Saturday nights no longer seem to be so lonely, why not pitch a tent with your new sisters or brothers in the new backyard and pretend you’re out in the big wild wilderness, playing games and having fun.
- That Big Bully at school stops bothering you because they know your new 6 foot tall 250 lbs boy in school is your new step-brother (Meaning no harm, that was put in for fun but if could be a bit of a turn off for the bully) (wink)
- Family is teamwork
With all of this being said isn’t it time we embrace all the beautiful things we have as a new member of a blended family, you may not be the Brady Bunch but you are well on your way to a great life, embrace the blessings and above all accept and Love!
Good Luck on your new Family and remember this quote
“Family isn’t always Blood. It’s the people in your life who want you in their’s”