<\/p>\n
\u201cA blended family is what people refer to as a stepfamily. It is a blend, it\u2019s not your traditional family but it is a blend. There is a dark side and a bright side to having a blended family,\u201d Igaga said on the BoyzToMen section on D\u2019Mighty Breakfast show. A blended family happens when one person who has children meets someone who also has or doesn\u2019t have children and they decide to become one family and live together.<\/p>\n
Igaga soberly states that that a number of the blended families are not successful.<\/p>\n
\u201cRoughly 65% end up in disaster. The bright side is that 35% is a lot,\u201d Igaga says.<\/p>\n
Igaga says that it\u2019s important for the couple to understand the relationship especially when there is a child in the picture.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the things to take into consideration when starting a blended family is that you need to understand that there is a child involved.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Igaga, it’s important to consider what the child feels because they have to adjust to the changes in the relationships.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow if I’m dating Maritza, before then, I was that fun uncle or friend to the child. Now I\u2019ve taken off those shoes and I\u2019m the father. That transition to the father is confusing. It’s important to take the child\u2019s feelings into consideration because the child starts resenting them,\u201d he states.<\/p>\n
He advises that couples should slowly introduce their partners into the family, adding that there has to be a transitional process because human beings are very territorial especially if it\u2019s not your bloodline.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou cannot expect it to be normal to introduce this child to this man. It has to be gradual. Research shows that it is very okay and normal to hate your stepchild,\u201d Igaga revealed.<\/p>\n
He adds that it\u2019s complicated when the child is a teenager and has his or her biological parents, alive.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe child will start a comparison between you and their biological parents. Sometimes children start playing games to suit themselves and play on your guts.\u201d<\/p>\n
It is important for the couple to have a bond and make sure the child\u2019s opinion doesn\u2019t necessarily cause confusion, otherwise they will mess up the relationship.<\/p>\n
He advises parents to blend and mix well so as to avoid breaking up.<\/p>\n