FAMILIES at war
Families come in all shapes and sizes, but they have one thing in common – they’re complicated. Even loving relationships can get twisted and tangled at times, and it can be hard to see a way to unravel the knots. Here, six readers spill the beans on their family feuds and we listen in as psychotherapist Sarie Taylor offers a path to resolution.
Q The kids resent our new marriage
After many years as a single mum, I’ve recently married a wonderful man. We’re so happy together, and we had high hopes of uniting our kids in a harmonious new family unit, but his adult children find it hard to look me in the eye. They feel bonding with me would be disloyal to their mum, who feels bitter that he has moved on, although their marriage ended years ago. Meanwhile, my teenagers resent his presence in the house that was once just ours. They’re becoming unruly and taking out their frustration on their stepdad. I feel like piggy in the middle in my own home.
You have undergone a big change, and all your children are resisting, as they will
