Essay Question 2.

In fiction and film, stepparebts and stepchildren usually have bad, and occasionally abusive relationships, like my old family saying "I'll beat you like a redheaded stephild." They usually have some form of conflict, be it direct contact and quarrel, or giving the lead a reason to leave and better theselves.

I have had personal knowledge of being a stepchild, because my mom did remarry, and i did have a stepfather. My brithers and I did not get along with him well, and he was not well in his mind, so he did not really treat us well. As for barriers to overcome, we never did because of the tension, however it did bring my older brother and I closer.

However I believe that in the average Step-relationship, there would first have to be a bonding stage to get comfortable, a "warm-up" if you will. Then the parent, if they had children of their own, would have get over the fact that "it not THEIR kid" and accept them as thir child. The child would also have to accept them as their parent. It's all just a matter of if they can get along together or not.

I never personally had any positive aspects in my step-relationship. I did not get along with my step-parent, and that person wasn't able to handle having step kids. He did not have a very good job, and spent more than he brought in, making money very tight. He was also constantly fighting with my mom and brother, and that made hose life very miserable.

In the average step-relationship, I could see many advantages to having a step-parent. They would be able to do things that your other parent may not be able to do, or teach you different things. They would help to create the image of the "model home" and make you feel more at home. It could make for a more positive upbringing and happier child.