ABSTRACT
The relationships among the three main kinds of adults in stepfamilies—biological parents, stepparents, and nonresident parents—are all important for the well-being of children, and of stepfamilies overall. A Family Systems perspective suggests that they are some of the key dyads in the overall family system. Stepfamily couples are more likely than first family couples to cohabit without making a commitment to each other, to cohabit sooner in their relationship, and to cohabit for longer before marrying. Couples in stepfamilies have many things to negotiate, and the complexity of family dynamics mean that there are in principle a large number of potentially contentious issues. The study of how adults in stepfamilies communicate is relatively recent and follows from a large body of research that focuses on communication in couples more generally. Stepfamily formation brings to a close any lingering hopes on the part of partners and children that reconciliation might take place between biological parents.
