CLASH of the step-siblings

While most families have their pressure points and siblings who are experts at pushing each other’s buttons, there’s a different set of stressors involved when it comes to blending two already established families together.

Claudia Abelheim, educational psychologist and head of the Family Life Centre’s Youth Services, explains: ‘When two families blend together, each side comes with its own entrenched practices. Each side will have their own routines, rules, roles and responsibilities that were created separately from each other. When children are asked to change these practices and negotiate new ones, it’s often met with resentment – which easily turns into step-sibling rivalry.’

So how should you go about setting boundaries and helping the kids