It is no easy task taking on the role of a step-parent. Not only do you face the challenge of learning to live happily with your partner and make peace with their ex, but you also have to take care in your relationship with their kids as well. Assuming that they haven’t reached adulthood yet, this can be a difficult process of figuring out how you can best be a presence in their lives and homes without upsetting anybody, and ideally build a mutually appreciative relationship.

Of course, one look at many blended families will tell you that it doesn’t work out this way a lot of the time. Some people want nothing less than having to parent somebody else’s kids, and others are far too eager to create a dynamic that takes a lot of time to nurture. It goes without saying that in these situations, the children often suffer most.