Notifying Your Future Stepchildren
Ensure Your Soon-to-Be Stepchildren Feel Included
Entering into a new relationship—let alone a new family—can be a delicate dance. Emotions and feelings are involved and intertwined which makes the transition into marriage a crucial phase of your relationship. As you move into your wedding preparation it’s important to ensure your soon-to-be stepchildren feel included.
Honesty From the Beginning
Since you don’t want the engagement to come as a shock to your stepchildren, make sure you let them know how much you and your fiancé care about each other from the start of the relationship. As soon as you are aware that the relationship could be headed toward marriage, let them know that. The last thing you want to do is make them feel left out, which will cause emotional distance between everyone.
Include Them in the Wedding Planning
If I were planning my wedding I would want to include my closest friends and family in the process, so why wouldn’t you include your stepchildren? Get their opinion on what kind of wedding they would like, and genuinely take their suggestions into consideration. Encourage them to do readings during the ceremony, or give a speech or performance at the reception.
Therapy
When children are involved in a second marriage it can be a challenge to ensure everyone is happy. Consider family therapy either before or after the wedding. Therapy will give you all a safe place to express feelings of fear, guilt, sadness, or even joy.
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