{"id":9836,"date":"2012-11-05T13:24:00","date_gmt":"2012-11-05T20:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites-stage.familylife.com\/flministries\/?p=9836"},"modified":"2012-11-05T13:24:00","modified_gmt":"2012-11-05T20:24:00","slug":"stepparenting-discipline-dos-and-donts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/articles\/topics\/blended-family\/stepparents\/stepparenting-skills\/stepparenting-discipline-dos-and-donts\/","title":{"rendered":"Stepparenting Discipline Dos and Don’ts"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Emotional attachment, trust, and love are what open the door to influence in parenting. Once that is established, an adult\u2014foster parent, grandparent, adoptive parent, or stepparent\u2014can lead and discipline a child. Said another way, the old adage is true: Rules without relationship leads to rebellion. Wise stepparents understand this and grow relationship in order to grow authority.<\/p>\n

Authority can exist without a bonded relationship, but it has its limits. A police officer can pull you over, a boss or coach can tell you what to do, and a teacher can tell a student the rules of the classroom, but none of these authorities obtain obedience out of love or deep admiration.<\/p>\n

Until stepparents establish a love-relationship with a child, they are just external authorities imposing boundaries. That\u2019s why it\u2019s critical early in a blended family that stepparents recognize these limits and borrow power from the biological parent. If they over-step the limits of their role, they can sabotage the developing relationships and any authority they might have had along with it. Therefore, for new stepparents the question is: How do they establish themselves as authority figures while waiting for bonding to occur?<\/p>\n

Borrowing power<\/h2>\n

Think about babysitters.  On their first visit to a home, they don\u2019t have any relational authority with children. The kids don\u2019t know them, don\u2019t like them, and don\u2019t need them. (Stepparents take note.) But if the kids and babysitter get many evenings together, they can form a significant relationship bond over time. In the meantime, while babysitters are hoping for a relationship to develop, how do they manage the children? Answer: by borrowing power.<\/p>\n

Babysitters can put children in time-out, take away privileges, and declare bedtime because the child\u2019s parent has passed power to the babysitter. The \u201cshe\u2019s in charge while we\u2019re gone\u201d speech is usually quite effective. Now notice, this empowers the babysitter to set boundaries and impose consequences that ultimately are owned by the parent. However, if the biological parent is unwilling or unable to own these boundaries, there will be chaos.<\/p>\n

Stepparenting follows a similar process. Initially stepparents act as extensions of the biological parent. They can enforce consequences, set boundaries, and say \u201cno,\u201d but do so knowing full well they are not standing on their own authority. They live on borrowed power until such time as their love-relationship with the child matures and opens the door to more influence and authority.<\/p>\n

Discipline do\u2019s and don\u2019ts for stepparents<\/h2>\n

At best, new stepparent authority is fragile and easily shattered. That\u2019s why these do\u2019s and don\u2019ts must be a priority.<\/p>\n