Aunt Visits Step-Mom Step-Son.There are times in a child’s life when their family does not live close together; this can create a void in their lives and cause them to miss out on being with their friends. I am not sure if it was because of the divorce, or maybe just because they didn’t have the money to move in with someone who would be in their lives. Whatever the case, these visits from their Aunt Marge are very important to their development. In fact, a recent study by developmental psychologists showed that kids who had more frequent visits by their grandparents lived longer and did better in school. The study showed that the frequent visits fostered social skills and helped the children to be better adjusted. This is definitely good news for our step-kids.
However, these visits from Aunt Marge can be troublesome for some step-children. One mother reported that she could not bear the guilt of sending her step-son to school on her birthday because she felt that her husband would not love him as much as she did if he were there. This makes sense because one of the purposes of having a visit from an Aunt Marge is to provide emotional support for your step-children. Unfortunately, some children have a hard time accepting this because they do not like the idea of their Mom coming around to help them with school, or with their friends. I know step-parents who worry about what their children will think if Aunt Marge always comes around, especially if they are not too small to be an Aunt.
The bottom line is that if you are having an aunt or step-stepmother come to your house on occasion, just don’t take it too seriously. It is supposed to be a fun time for your child to play and develop new friends. Your child does not need a super human role model to understand how to accept help. If your child is having some difficulties dealing with an Aunt Marge visit remember that the child is young, and will grow up with her, and most importantly with her new role in your family.
