Dr. Robert Needlman
Specialist in pediatric behavior and development.
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 Ask Dr. Needlman
Depressed over Step-Parenting Situation | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Needlman,
How do I tell my husband that having his three kids living with us is causing me to have headaches, loss of sleep, and depression. The kids (two boys & one girl) have to have everything new and don't want to do their chores, while we are trying to stay afloat with all the bills. — Can't be happy anymore in Salem,Missouri | | | ANSWER |
October 10, 2000 | | | Dear Can't Be Happy Anymore,
Step-parenting is one of the hardest things anyone can do. The sense that you can't talk about your feelings adds greatly to the stress, so I urge you to try to open up the lines of communication between you and your husband. I often recommend that parents in this situation get help from a marriage counselor. There is no shame in doing this--Ben Spock himself described how he and his wife saw a marriage counselor when they were dealing with the strains of step-parenting.
In the meantime, you might want to take a look at the step-parenting articles in the Family & Issues section of our website. Remember, you're not alone, and there are things that you can do to make life a little easier.
— by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
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