The first step in correcting the problem is to admit that our own parenting methods probably allowed our child to become unruly and by altering them, we can help our child behave appropriately.

Naturally, at every step along the way, we wondered whether we were making the right parenting decisions.

Successful step-families are more flexible in their family boundaries than couples in a "traditional" nuclear family, and less rigid in assigning parenting roles by gender.