Help for Grandparents in Stepfamilies or Blended Families
Grandparenting is supposed to be Heaven on Earth! Maybe for many grandparents, it really is! The dynamics of grand parenting in a stepfamily can prove to be exceptionally complicated. Grandparents want to feel the same way about all of 'their' grandchildren, but it can be difficult to achieve. The other tightrope that grandparents must walk is a very fine line between their ex son-in-law or ex daughter-in-law and their own biological child. Most biological adult children expect their parents to remain 'loyal' to them. The term 'loyal' can be interpreted numerous ways. For some, not having anything at all to do with the adult child's ex is being loyal. No matter what the term means for each person, grandparents can find themselves on very shaky ground emotionally, and sometimes struggle with the nuance that comes along with trying to remain 'neutral.'