The ex being high conflict can have a direct impact on how well you’re able to connect with your stepkid. If your stepkid's other home is dysfunctional or abusive, then even their most basic interpretations of love, belonging, or family could be very different from yours. Maybe more different than you’d ever guess.
So don't blame yourself if you're struggling to connect with your stepkid... but do educate yourself on the impact of childhood abuse and trauma so you understand how those might manifest in your stepkid.
Most of all, make sure YOU'RE getting the support YOU need along the way. As always, we’ve gotta make sure we’re putting our own oxygen masks on first.
For a more in-depth look at the impact of high conflict on the stepparenting role, including your ability to blend at all, please go check out my workshop on high conflict stepparenting. It’s free for our paid subscribers on Substack, but you can sign up for a free trial and watch it that way too. And if you decide to stick around afterwards, we’d love to have you. xo
High Conflict Stepparenting: Blending Under Pressure
Stepparents in high conflict need extra support. Because unless you're an expert in the family court system, parenting psychology & childhood trauma, c-PTSD & emotional abuse & recovery, and high conflict personality disorders, you're probably feeling pretty damn overwhelmed right about now.
Trust me, it's not you! It's the unsustainable co-parenting and stepfamily dynamics surrounding you. In this workshop, I'll go over what helped me protect my own mental health and get my head back above water. xo
Share this post