Stepmothers’ Role in Mediating Adverse Effects on Children of Divorce

Divorce and remarriage can be a stressful time for children: Stepmothers can aid in reducing negative repercussions. Effectively incorporating stepmothers into the family can aid in a healthy transition. Addressing role ambiguity, relationships, communication styles, and reorganization can help families avoid unnecessary stress during divorce and remarriage. Interventions that focus on increasing coping mechanisms and effective communication help reduce negative side effects and aid in the successful reorganization of the family following divorce or remarriage. Counselors can aid in this process by supporting families using structural family therapy (SFT) and suggesting interventions. When counselors and society support the diverse compositions of families, this reorganization can happen with less distress for the children involved.