“According to recent data, 16% of children are living in what the Census Bureau terms “blended families” – a household with a stepparent, stepsibling or half-sibling.  Many, but not all, remarriages involve blended families.”
“According to data from the National Center for Health Statistics, six-in-ten (63%) women in remarriages are in blended families, and about half of these remarriages involve stepchildren who live with the remarried couple. Hispanic, black and white children are equally likely to live in a blended family. About 17% of Hispanic and black children are living with a stepparent, stepsibling or a half-sibling, as are 15% of white children. Among Asian children, however, 7% – a far smaller share – are living in blended families. This low share is consistent with the finding that Asian children are more likely than others to be living with two married parents, both of whom are in their first marriage.”
“All in all, about 75 percent of the 1.2 million Americans who divorce each year eventually remarry.” Most have children and they find that stepfamily life is more complex than they ever imagined. “It’s full of complicated schedules, squabbling stepsiblings, issues with ex-partners, and new spouses who’ve never been parents trying out childcare.”
“In the end, the most comforting piece of advice about blending families is this: A blended family is a family, first and foremost. The more parenting experiences you gain, the more mistakes you make and learn from, the better you become at being a parent, stepparent, and spouse. The result? A happier, well-adjusted, well-blended family.”
Check out this article from Parents.com on how to deal with the challenges that come with being in a blended family, which provides several great tips for making it work:Â https://www.parents.com/parenting/divorce/blended-families/navigating-the-challenges-of-blended-families/
http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2015/12/17/1-the-american-family-today/
