gained competence and financial
independence during their single-parent
period may fear financial dependency.
Inheritance issues become an issue, not
only for the new couple, but also for the
ex-spouses and grandparents (Carter &
McGoldrick, 2005; Stewart, 2007).
The Rewards of Remarriage
You may remember the old TV series
The Brady Bunch. A man with three sons
marries a woman with three daughters.
Their life together is full of fun, mischief,
and goodwill. Any misunderstandings are
minor and are quickly resolved. Each
episode seems to end in “happily-ever-
after” fashion. In real life,
“happy-ever-afters” are rare. Though most
American stepfamilies don’t resemble the
Brady Bunchfantasy, stepfamilies can be
strong, satisfying families. Research has
only recently moved from a deficits
perspective to look at what makes a
stepfamily successful (Visher, Visher, &
Pasley, 2003). Despite the research
evidence supporting the problems
encountered in stepfamilies, there are
many strong, successful stepfamilies. This
strengths-based research can provide goals
to help guide families in positive
directions. The following are possible
areas of strength which may be valuable to
stepfamilies.
A Broader Definition of FamilyStepfamilies can give children a
broader definition of family, a larger
network for support, and a place to work
out socialization. Stepparents, step-
grandparents, and stepsiblings all can
provide a wider family base from which
children can learn and grow. This includes
providing the child with a greater number
of positive role models—people who care
about the child and who can provide
friendship and support. The increased
number of people in the child’s life
provides an extra built-in support system,
making more adults available for advice
and encouragement. As a result, children
can learn valuable social skills they might
not have learned elsewhere as they interact
with this wider circle of people (Olson &
DeFrain, 2006).AdaptabilityChildren who grow up in a stepfamily
often reach adulthood with a greater
capacity to adapt. They have learned
through the experience of growing up how
to cope with change, from experiencing a
variety of family forms—family after death
of a parent, family after divorce, single-
parent family, cohabiting parents. They are
exposed to a greater number of intimate
adults (parents, stepparents, step-
grandparents) than children in nuclearChapter 13