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Alison O'Mahony- Founder -Now on YouTube

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Getting it Right so it Doesn’t Go Wrong About blended families

Step-families are fundamentally different from other family types. These differences are not generally acknowledged because new step-families want to look like they are traditional-styled families. Yet to step-parent like a biological parent causes problems.

Currently, many parents are cross-over parents. They are unlikely to have been step-parented but are very likely to be step-parents. Children born since 2010 are more likely to be step-parented than not before they reach adulthood. Step-families are becoming the most common family type, yet most step-parents have had no experience of step-family life.

We know step-family life can be rewarding, fun and special. We know there are ways to help in a step-family, and ways to hinder. To help enables the family to flourish. To hinder means the family founders. Be StepWise help step-families help themselves so they can get it right so it doesn’t go wrong.

About Us

The Problems We Solve

Family Differences

Step-families form as a result of a loss. Becoming a step-family means change and adjustment for family members. Children do not ask for and usually do not want changes.

The child in a step-family is biologically the child of one parent, not both. The attachment between a parent and their child can bring about unwieldly three-way relationships.

As step-families form, everyone involved can be making different assumptions about everyone else. What does the step-parent think their role is? What does the biological parent assume and expect from the child or his or her partner? What are the expectations of the child and the other family members, including ex-spouses?

Life-cycle mix-ups

In step-families the children exist before the step-parenting couple forms. The new couple’s relationship frequently comes under strain as they grapple with parenting issues. Older children hear and understand the disagreements. The other members of the new extended family are often critical. The couple move very quickly out of their ‘honeymoon period’.

There are many ways a step-family can experience lifecycle mix-ups.

Introducing a new baby into a family of older children,
Adult step-children may have children a similar age to their half siblings,
The step-parent may be a similar age to the children of the first marriage.

The challenges can be practical ones, for example:

Holidays suitable for babies can be very different from holidays a pre-teen or teenager might want.
Older children have to learn to be quiet in the house when baby is asleep.
Parents need to find time for each part of the family

The challenges can be mental: “I used to be Daddy’s Girl. Will he love me now he has a new baby?”

Bonding

Every household lives differently. They have their own ways of doing things. By the time the step-family has formed the step-children have already lived some of their life as part of another family. The old family will have had different values and beliefs. A step-parent may find they have little in common with the children who are not ‘theirs’. Bonding takes time and requires the development of respect and trust as well as the formation of new cultures and traditions. Step-parents often do not love their partner’s children. After all, why should they? Until recently they were strangers. For step-parents it can be difficult to even feel ‘at home’ in their own home with their step-children. Meanwhile the biological parent can’t understand the step-parent’s problem.

When both parents bring children to the family it can add other layers of difficulty. It can mean tussling with two or more sets of needs, desires, timetables and idiosyncrasies, not to mention food, bedtimes, rituals and discipline. All of this has to be sorted out within a relatively short time scale to get the whole family functioning.

The difficulties can be further complicated by some children only residing with a family part of the time or for holidays. Their other biological parent’s home arrangements and expectations will be different and probably changing at the same time too.

Resources

Children living in two families are in a complex situation. A step-family can have 8 sets of grand-parents and many more relatives.

Often less money is available which makes difficulties. Different sides of a step-family can have different amounts of money available. For example, one set of children receiving private education and the other not.

House size and bedroom arrangements become more complex. Compatibility between children matters more as they need to share space.

Time becomes scarcer as it can be spent travelling between homes. The family can feel like several families under one roof each competing for attention.

When There is a Divorce

Once two people have a child together, they remain co-parents even if they divorce. Co-parenting until the child is grown-up means communicating, organising and co-operating with someone they have chosen to be separate from.

In best case scenarios divorced parents get on amicably with their ex-partners. New partners are accepted and the step-family can have very positive relationships. For those lucky ones, the step-parent can be an additional resource and things can go fine.

Where this is not the case it can be extremely difficult. The step-parent often wants to help their new partner, and is involved with childcare and so becomes part of the system. All sorts of things can go wrong:

The step-parent can find his/ her partner struggles to manage the ex-partner relationship.
The ex-partner intrudes by continuing to be involved, doing favours for his/ her ex-partner or spending large amounts of time with them.

The Extended Family

Becoming a step parent involves not only taking on someone else’s children but also someone else’s family and extended family. This can mean becoming part of a large family. In step-families the extended family can feel they have the right to interfere in your relationship. They feel they have this right ‘because of the children’. Interference can be in

big decisions like choosing a suitable place to go on holiday, where to live, how to spend money, or for
everyday arrangements like what to feed the children, house rules, allowances, and bedtimes.

When members of the extended family have not come to terms with the changes that have taken place in the family, they can project their feelings onto the new-comer – the new step-parent. It can be much easier to ‘hate’ a new step-parent than to deal with uncomfortable feelings. Step-parents often cannot understand why they are being blamed.

The Pivotal Parent

The pivotal parent is the biological parent of the child, and the partner of the step-parent. If both parents have children from previous relationships, then both parents are pivotal parents. Instead of working as a couple, pivotal parents sometimes support their child against their partner or support their partner more than their child. Either way there is an imbalance. This can leave either the step-parent feeling ganged-up against, or the child in rebellious mode.

One of the reasons why the pivotal parent may indulge the child is that they feel guilty for what has happened before. As a result, the parent may not discipline the child appropriately.

The pivotal parent may expect the new step-parent to love his or her children as their own. Once the pivotal parent has introduced the step-parent into the family they sometimes think everything is ‘back to normal’ and they don’t have to make a special effort. A common example of this is when the step-parent is frequently left at home to mind a step-child while the pivotal parent goes. A pivotal parent feels their child should be able to ‘drop-round’ unannounced and make themselves at home, or that the child should always sit in the front passenger seat of the car on journeys.

The Step Parent

Step-parents are often told, “you knew what you were getting into”, but a step-parent rarely does.

In the beginning, a potential step-parent can think everything is fine. Children behave as though their parent’s new friend is welcome until something makes the step-child see the future step-parent as a threat to their relationship with their parent. This can happen quite suddenly. The threat they perceive comes from their future step-parent’s ‘togetherness’ with their parent. They see they may lose their parent due to the influence of this new outsider. This is a real threat. A step-parent and their new partner can and do make decisions together that will affect the step-child’s life as they set up home. A step-child will resist this. There is nothing that can be done to prevent this happening. It signals the beginning of step-family life, but it’s not usually what step-parents expect.

Step-parents find that living with children that are genetically connected to them is entirely different from living with children who are not. Step-children are never the children of step-parents. Step-children have two other parents even if they are not together or if one hass died. Step-parents can therefore find themselves in a parental role but being taken for granted. They manage the day-to-day grind of family life with little appreciation. When it comes to inclusion in things like family events, celebrations, graduations or birthdays they can find they are left out. Step-parents can then feel bitterly resentful.

The Children

A step-child can display all sorts of challenging behaviour. They can be rude, lie, steal, spy, talk back or refuse to co-operate. They can build a special relationship with the pivotal parent behind the back of the step-parents back with the pivotal parent. A step-child can develop behavioural problems such as anxiety, anger, school refusal, obsessive-compulsive disorders, depression or many other mental health conditions. A step-child may regress to a previous developmental stage. They may start bed-wetting, or insisting on eating with baby spoons or talking in childish ways.

A step-child may have trouble accepting a step-parent because their other parent may not be coping. The step-child may see their other parent unhappy and alone and feel sorry for them. They may blame their other parent, the step-parents partner, for this. They may feel disloyal when away from their other parent. They may be asked for information by one parent after visiting the other. The other parent may be over-confiding in the step-child, or may want them to be sad when away from them. The other parent may want to punish their ex-partner by withholding the children from them, so the step-child feels guilty. A step-child may refuse to meet or see the step-parent.

Adult step-children can be just as difficult to manage as they have their independence, yet are influential.

Parent alienation

Sometimes one or other parent has a temperament that means they become easily aggrieved. This aggrieved alienating parent tends not to share responsibility for what happened but blame others. The child becomes drawn in to trying to help them and becomes emotionally enmeshed with this alienating parent. The child thinks that their other parent was wrong or at fault for what happened in the original family. The mother or the father can become the alienating parent. The child can be persuaded by the alienating parent that the ‘other’ parent has done something that deserves their child’s rejection. This then becomes the alienated parent. The child refuses to see their alienated parent and talks ill of them. This is called ‘parent alienation’. This is serious, as it can lead to the child losing contact with one of their parents completely, often until adulthood or beyond. To deal with this, the alienated parent needs to get a proper diagnosis and then deal with it, often through the courts.

Treatments And services

About Us Our Achievements

Be StepWise was founded in 2009 by Alison O’Mahony in response to a growing demand from step-parents for information and support for their family life. Our services have been specially designed for the unique nature of a step-family. Step-parents want discreet support. They want advice that is relevant to their own family situation.

Our Aim
To help all step-families everywhere to take steps towards better family functioning whatever that may mean for them.

Our Philosophy
Step-families are about to become the new normal family type. Every step-family deserves the very best advice so that the step-family home can be a place we want to be.

What we’ve done
Be StepWise are a recognized authority for practical step-parenting advice. We have an international following. We have been privileged to have helped many step-families. We have used the media, conferences and seminars to raise awareness of the unique nature of step-family life.

What Will You Gain Working With Us?

Who We Are The Team

Be StepWise associates are independent professionals who have come together to work as a team because we have an interest in, and special empathy for, step-families. Professionally we are counselling psychotherapists with additional qualifications in coaching, parenting and occupational psychology.

Be StepWise professionals are registered with professional bodies. These bodies have standards of conduct and codes of ethics. The standards include requirements for professional supervision, continuing professional development and conforming to rules governing confidentiality and data protection.

What We Do

Welcome

This is BestepWise

The Wright Stuff

Alison guests with Matthew Wright on Channel 5 TV

How can I discipline my step-children without upsetting my partner

Blame house rules instead of you

How can I get my step-children to eat more healthily

Slowly introduce changes to diet, not immediately

How do I build a relationship with my step-children

Try to interpret signs from Step Child

How do I communicate with my step-children

Ask Step Children Some Simple Questions

How do I deal with my stepchildren’s annoying habits

Slowly encourage new behaviour

How do I develop a relationship with my step-children

Go slowly and allow plenty of time

What can I do when my partner doesn’t discipline their children

Hold a meeting about the top 5 rules of the house

Gellary

What We Do Our Services

People talk to us about every aspect of step-family life before starting a step-family and before meeting their partner’s children. When they are planning to move in together; how to settle down; when things are not as expected; problems with the children, the extended family, your partner; anything else to do with blending a family.

Be StepWise provide a service on-line and in person.
• On-line - website, a blog, videos, articles and an email response service.
• In person - face-to-face help for step-parents, individually, as a couple or a family at workshops, seminars or events.
• Skype or telephone services for those who we can’t meet in person.
• Books.

Find Your True Selfe

Next Workshop: Date to be announced soon!

Workshop feedback

“Wow, I still can’t believe it’s been a year since I came onto your course. I’m so glad I did, it has changed my life. “

“This was an amazing workshop. After ten years of being a step parent I pretty much felt I knew what was what but this was just what I needed. It was not something you could get from reading book – it was all quite holistic – an element of counselling, managing, support, strategies, understanding, sharing other people’s experiences and getting insights from each other and some role play which was really effective! At the end people were asking for another course. Alison and Kim are passionate and professional and just special really.”

Learn More

Workshop Banner

Email Response Service

FREE – 3 email exchanges to answer any step-family question. If you put your question in writing to our contact box, we can usually reply within 48 hours.

PLEASE check your spam folder after two days if you do not receive a reply to your in-box.

Email response October 2020.

I wish I had emailed sooner! I wasn’t sure how easy it would be to discuss my problems with a stranger over email but it turned out to be the most helpful discussion I have ever had about my step family situation. I felt heard, understood and supported

Email conversation Autumn 2020

When I found Be StepWise I was feeling helpless and desperate. The emails I received were very helpful and provided valuable insights into the issues that were causing me and my partner to feel very stressed. Many thanks

Email correspondence, August 2020

I recently contacted Alison via email, her advice was beyond supportive for myself and my husband, I would fully recommend anyone to use this service.

Individual, Couple & Family Services

We meet with the individual step-parent, or the step-parent and their partner or entire families or family sub-sets.

Sometimes a single session is all that is wanted. At other times sessions are arranged at monthly intervals, or as required.

Parents have to contact Be StepWise via the contact box to set up the sessions. The best way forward is agreed. Sometimes this means a planning session with one or both of the parents in advance.

We can use telephone or Skype if convenient.

Ellie and Steve (2014)

Ellie had taken on a family of three teenage step-children when she moved in with her new partner Steve four years ago. Ellie had assumed that if she was herself, a naturally kind and well intentioned person, then she would have no problem befriending Steve’s kids. Things were fine at first, but soon turned out not to be fine at all. The children became rude and excluding. What made the situation worse was that Steve didn’t back her up. He avoided confrontation when he could, and sometimes backed the children against her. Ellie was stressed and distressed, and, before contacting us, was on the point of leaving Steve. She attended individual sessions with Be StepWise and then a workshop. This helped her to see things from a different perspective. She was then able to negotiate new arrangements for herself and the family.

Next workshop: Date to be announced soon.

No of places: 12 per workshop

Timings: One day. 9.00am – 4.30pm

Location: Central London. Euston, London NW1

Cost: £115.00. per person.

To book: Use the ‘contact us’ form on this website to tell us

To ask a question: ‘Contact us’ and if you’d like a call just say.

For whom: All partners of parents. Your partners children need not live with you, or can be occasional visitors, or live with you full-time. Your partner’s children can be adults or children. Participants can be established step-parents or people not yet met their step-children. Some step-children refuse to meet their step-parents, and these partners are also welcome.

Sometimes both partners in a family are step-parents. You may prefer to choose to attend separate workshops. How you feel about your partners parenting of their children can affect your working partnership. We like to solve these problems. They are totally solvable. We can’t if the spouse is in the room because the person always has to be aware of what they are saying in front of their partner.

Aim: The workshops are of practical benefit. Designed to enable participants have more confidence, be happier, and know what to do for the best in their set of circumstances. They enable step-parents to be able to talk with their partners about creating a good family life. Step-parents also enjoy meeting other step-parents in a supportive, friendly, social environment. Living inside a blended family is not common knowledge and not commonly understood.

Content: The workshops use a mixture of education - informing of stepfamily research and findings. Psychology - to help participants understand how past experience, expectations, feelings and reactions can be linked to the complex dynamic of a step-family. Behaviour change – strategies for problem solving and modifying step-family life to move forward to helpful and appropriate change.

Experience: The workshops normalise a step-parents experience. Inform step-parents about step-family life in ways they had not previously thought. Step-parents learn about strategies and ideas and can calmly and rationally think through what would help them next with their own step-parents experience. The workshops are friendly and participative. Confidentiality is talked about and asked for within the room. We hope the day will be fun, relaxing, a huge relief from the tribulations of step-family life, and very, very helpful to any step-parent whatever their circumstance.

Facilitators: The two facilitators have much experience of step-family life. Alison O’Mahony is a Family Therapy Practitioner and Kim Revell is a Counselling psychologist. Please see details under ‘the team’ on this website. Both Alison and Kim are described as knowledgeable, sensitive and yet direct. They are experienced workshop facilitators, and have run this workshop several times.

The outcomes of the workshop:

For participants to….

become more knowledgeable about step-family dynamics.
feel more confident and competent in their own step-family environment.
take away a personalised plans to help in their own family.
have enjoyed the day talking with others in step-family situations.

Programme content:

Getting it right so it doesn’t go wrong – in step-parenting.

Content will cover:

Understanding step-family life
Why it’s different and why it’s not what you expected.
Helpful perspectives, and how to work with these.
Strategies for making step-family life better
Boundaries and discipline when these vary from house to house and person to person.
Communication as a re-formed family
Working with your partner especially around the mixed emotions in step-families.
Being treated right as a step-parent
Love in a step-family and your role.
Children who are rude or difficult or needy.
Others of influence, the ex-partner(s), the in-laws, the neighbours, the community.
Making and having your own life with this family, not being ostricised or controlled.
Fresh starts
How to secure a better step-family future.

Refunds:

Up to 2 months before Full refund less £10 admin fee.

Less than two months 50% refund from 2 months until a week prior.

Less than 7 days to go No refund with less than 7 days before event

If workshop is cancelled. Full refund will be given.

Workshop participants say

October 2018

This was an amazing workshop. After ten years of being a step parent I pretty much felt I knew what was what but this was just what I needed. It was not something you could get from reading book – it was all quite holistic – an element of counselling, managing, support, strategies, understanding, sharing other people’s experiences and getting insights from each other and some role play which was really effective! At the end people were asking for another course. Alison and Kim are passionate and professional and just special really.

Workshop March 2019
The course has been a fantastic reset for my attitude towards my step children and also my outlook for our future as a family. Before the course I didn’t believe that I could do much more to make my family work now I am armed with a new set of tools and hope.

Wonderful. Would highly recommend. Thank you!

Very helpful – really enjoyed the chance to talk.

Really found it helpful and re-assuring to share stories. Felt really heard.

I got extremely valuable insights from all.

I got so much out of your workshop, I have no hesitation in recommending your service – Workshop participant

Thank you for yesterday. It was helpful. I am feeling less stressed about it than I was before talking to you, so thank you, - client, June 2012

I’m hugely impressed. Genius! – workshop participant

I found the whole day useful and a release. A very enthusiastic workshop – workshop participant.

Cannot fault anything. It was all very enjoyable and incredibly useful – workshop participant,

Very though provoking. Things from another angle helps shed light on an existing problem. – Workshop participant.

So helpful to have the opportunity to discuss openly ‘step’ issues with others who get it. – workshop participant

Really non-judgmental, sharing of ideas etc. There is too much to cover for just one workshop day. More please! – workshop participant,

Invaluable for step-parents and excellent opportunity for insight and help in the situation - Workshop participant.

A lively professional innovative workshop. Excellent – workshop participant,

It was so enjoyable and useful to have comradery and share similar situations – Workshop participant

It was really excellent - workshop participant,

Great practical tips, exercises able to have fun/ laugh, - workshop participant

Great sense of being able to share intimate details of feeling – safe environment. – workshop participant,

A chance to think about personal issues and an introduction to concepts to use. – workshop participant,

So useful to look at the multiple perspectives held by different people in relationships – workshop participant,

It is so useful to step back and be more objective and to create a structure to take the load instead of me! – workshop participant,

I think it’s great to hear the expert views and analysis – workshop participant.

I would recommend the course. It makes you think outside the box – workshop participant,

I really enjoyed all the course. It is interesting to think about your own feelings and thoughts and change this – workshop participant,

Thank you for the workshop. It was informative and helpful, and I like the way you guys think – Workshop participant

Thank you for a fascinating day – I so enjoyed it – Workshop participant,

Anyone involved in a step-family would find it helpful – workshop participant,

Very positive supportive and empathetic atmosphere – workshop participant,

I know so many others for whom this would be so useful. I will definitely recommend it – workshop participant,

Well organised, efficient, got straight into key issues and provided a safe environment to divulge and learn – workshop participant,

The whole day was interesting – workshop participant,

Learnt a great deal, feel better going forward – workshop participant,

Very useful parenting and step-parenting tips – workshop participant,

Thanks a lot for a wonderful meeting before half term – it was a fabulous session – workshop participant,

I benefitted enormously from the day – workshop participant,

Thanks so much for the day. It was really useful – workshop participant,

The workshop was informative, thought provoking, sensitive and sympathetic to everyone’s situation regardless of how difficult and emotional – delegate,

The whole workshop was good. I really found the problem-solving session useful. I wish my partner would attend – delegate,

I have attended a step-parenting session with Be StepWise in the past. I find the session to be extremely useful. They give me fresh strategies to deal with certain situation, - delegate,

I liked the different techniques and scenarios talked about on the programme – delegate,

Very enjoyable and useful to meet others experiencing broadly similar issues and similar emotions. Great sensible, compassionate strategies offered – delegate,

I feel each step-family should attend a similar programme to aid smooth blending of the new step-family – delegate,

Maybe run the workshop over two days? So much to talk about – Delegate

The workshop was helpful, informative, a great release. I feel more armed to deal with my situation – delegate,

Great to meet others with similar issues. Fantastic to get such compassionate but positive strategies. I will forward to using them. Client on workshop,

It has really made a big difference. We are off to a much better start – delegate,

I would never have expected that so many positive changes could result from just one day on the step-parenting programme. The simple techniques I learnt on the course have really improved my relationship with my family while being easy to set in motion. – delegate

All issues in the group were uncannily the same. Thank you very much. I think new step-parents should attend a session - delegate

Seminars

Be StepWise delivers seminars at businesses, networks and events. Below is an example of a one-hour event.

The Be StepWise Step-Parent seminar will take a closer look at step-parenting. We look at why a step-family is different and what this means. We correct the misconceptions about step-family life. We put into context the challenges step-parents face. We share strategies for enabling step-parents and their families to achieve a sustainable future together. As far as possible, we address any individual questions step-parents bring to the session. If the session is likely to be heavily attended, then we ask for questions to be submitted in advance.

Services

Schools

Be StepWise works in schools. The OFSTED framework highlights specific standards that schools are measured by in relation to parents. These include: 1) The effectiveness of the school’s engagement with parents and carers. 2) The effectiveness of this engagement in promoting learning and well-being and 3) the effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion. Nowadays parental support is very likely to mean step-parenting support. We can negotiate the scale and the type of service to be delivered. Email info@bestepwise.co.uk for more information.

Businesses

Be StepWise works with businesses. Organisations understand that stress and problems at home cause time off work, loss of productivity and a demotivated workforce. We contract with firms to provide support for their staff. We also provide talks and seminars for organisations in lunch-time and evening groups. “Very interesting.” “All very informative.” “The talk had clearly been geared to us and that was impressive.

TV & Media

Be StepWise is proud to be a resource for media companies. We think that more people should know about step-parenting dilemmas and how it affects society. Be StepWise have worked on TV with: The Kirsty Allsopp and Phil Spencer show, The Danielle Lineker ‘My new step-family’ TV production, CPL productions, Channel 5 and Betty Productions Ltd. And Radio stations: London radio, Jnet Radio, Radio Nottingham.

Schools

How We Work Our Commitment To You

We are a team of qualified, experienced professionals who have great empathy with step-parenting and step-family life. We will meet your specific requirements carefully and sensitively.

In a step-family there are differing perspectives on everything. There can be a lot of hurt feelings due to the amount of change step-families go through. These can drive disruptive and upsetting behavior. We are able to put challenging behavior into context. Once things are contained, new ways of being and thinking become possible.

Be StepWise are here mainly to help step-parents and in so doing help the whole family.

How We Work

Alison O'Mahony's latest book is now published!

Be Stepwise Booklets A series of booklets are being written, the first two available now

Alison O’Mahony- Author of First Steps

Embarking on a new relationship with the children of your new partner can be daunting. As you become more involved with your partner and his or her children, the children (even adult ones!) can pull away. Alison explains how to read the tell-tale signs that show us that our step-children realise we have arrived, and gives us guidance on what to do about it. This book addresses this little-talked-about topic deftly and succinctly, giving us a wealth of valuable information and practical advice.

Alison O’Mahony- Author of ‘Let’s Talk’

Is an imaginative book that inspires us to manage our step-families proactively. It encourages us to develop systems around family life so we can get on with living and enjoying home. “Let the system carry the load” is a mantra that allows those difficult things about living with others to be spoken about instead of being left unsaid. The book is bursting with useful strategies. An essential read for any step-family.

Buy these booklets

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Contact Us

We are based in and around Central London and Home Counties.

If you have questions or need additional information, please use our contact form (below) or email us.

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