ABSTRACT
Children manipulate and play one parent off against the other when they find the opportunity to do so. Children scramble for love and affection, and fight with their siblings. Children struggle to form an identity of their own, taking from parents and peers. In looking at the process of divorce and transition to the remarriage, one is aware of the almost universal feeling of loss and grief experienced by the children. The children see their parent’s remarriage as a betrayal of the former spouse if that spouse has died, or even when the remarriage follows a divorce. The most detrimental situation for the children is when they become pawns in the struggle between their natural parents as they vent their hostility towards each other. Children in stepfamilies often express the fear that there will be new babies born to the couple who will totally disrupt their relationships to the adults.
