Blended families with teenagers

ReachOut Content Team
Published 24 November 2023
Image of a family with two male adults and three male children.

Blending families can be a tough gig, but there can also be a lot of pluses. We look at how to give your blending a boost, and help everybody mix in the best way possible

What is a blended family?

When people talk about ‘blended families’, they’re usually talking about when two divorced/separated/single parents bring their kids and start living together. What that actually looks like is different for everyone, and there’s no one-way of doing it. It can be an exciting time, but real people aren’t the Brady Bunch! So there can also be sadness, feelings of loss, frustration and anger. And that’s ok. It’s best to be real about it, and talk about it with your partner and your kids heaps of times before it happens.

What are some of the common issues?

You might come-up against a range of issues:

  • Anger and blame towards the new side of the family for the change.

  • Jealousy between kids.

  • Teething issues around adjusting to new routines, rules and boundaries.

  • Confusion: ‘who’s in charge of me now?’

  • Frustration at having to move to a new area and try to fit in again.

  • Awkwardness with fitting in to a new house especially things like sorting out new bedrooms.

  • And for you, it might be the case that your relationship with your new partner changes now that everyone is living together under the one roof.

Teens can often feel like the meat in a parent sandwich. Check out this video to see how one family managed the transition into a blended family by involving all 6 (!) kids every step of the way.

There are ups too

We talk a lot about the hard parts of being a blended family. And while those issues are there, there are also heaps of up-sides, too. Blending families is a chance to talk about issues that might have been swept under the rug before. It’s not about pretending that there are no negatives, but if you can focus on the positives, things can actually be much better than they were before. It can also be a great opportunity to start something exciting and new.

How do we blend better?

Some ideas you might like to try:

Learn more about blended families and step-parenting by tacking our Things to Try page.

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              Aboriginal flagTorres Strait islander flagRainbow flagAustralian flag

              We acknowledge the traditional owners of Country throughout Australia. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and to Elders past and present. We recognise connection to Country as integral to health and wellbeing.

              We acknowledge people with lived experience of mental ill-health and recovery and the experience of people who have been carers, families, or supporters.

              ReachOut values diversity. We are committed to providing a safe, culturally appropriate, and inclusive service for all people, regardless of their ethnicity, faith, disability, sexuality, or gender identity.

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