Blending a family can be both rewarding and challenging, all at the same time. Bringing your children and your partner's children together in the same home is a big change for everyone, and it can be helpful to work with a counselor as you make this change. The type of counseling you should be looking for is called family counseling, or in some cases, step family counseling. Here are a few key benefits of seeking this guidance as you blend your new family.

Establish Roles

In a family, everyone tends to have their own role. When you're blending two families together, it can be hard to figure out what each person's role is going to be. This can lead various family members to feel a loss of identity and feelings of confusion. Working with a family counselor can help each family member explore and settle into their new family role. The counselor may ask questions that clarify what each person's role is or should be, and they may also walk you through activities to help you get used to those new roles.

Resolve Conflicts

The conflicts often begin the minute everyone moves in together. They may just be small conflicts, such as who gets which room or which parent should pick the kids up. But these conflicts can eat away at you if you don't learn to resolve them peacefully and collectively as a family. A counselor can teach you some new conflict resolution tactics that can help keep the peace in your new family. Learning these skills as you navigate these early, small conflicts will help ensure you have the skills to solve any larger conflicts that may come up down the road.

Establishing Outside Parent Roles

Often in a blended family, there are also parents involved who do not live in the family home. For example, your partner's ex may share custody of their children. A counselor can help you establish what role these outside parents play, how you and your partner will interact with these parents, and how to best talk to your children about their other parents. This is all highly dependent on the other parents' roles and reputation, so your counselor will take a really personalized approach here.

If you're blending a family, it's always a good idea to seek help. A family counselor can walk with you and help ensure this life change goes smoothly. For more information, contact a counseling center such as One Step Beyond Counseling and Wellness.