Working, Divorce, and Remarriage/Stepfamilies – Case Study

Rose and Jason were both married previously and had been divorced for about two years before they met each other. Each had two children from their previous relationship: Rose had two young daughters and Jason had two teenage sons. Both parents discussed dating with their children before starting the process to be sure that they were all comfortable with the idea. They wanted the children to be assured that they would still be there for them and to know that it was about change, not about blame. Rose and Jason did not race into introducing the children to one another or getting the children all together. They took things slow and gradual. Several months after getting the children together for the first time, the family started having a weekly family night out together at a local restaurant that the family all chose. They made this a new family tradition. The family has been following this pattern for the past year and would now like to take it to a new level. They would like to go on a family vacation together and Rose and Jason are talking about the possibility of getting married, but they are not sure how to proceed. After researching various options on the website for the National Stepfamily Resource Center (www.stepfamilies.info), the couple has decided to seek professional help.

You are the counselor that the couple has come to for guidance in how to proceed with their relationship, their plans for marriage, and the best course of action for blending their two families together. Write your case study and include the following information.

What questions do you need to have answered to be able to assist them in their decision? 

• What are your observations of each parent, the children, and their situation? What are the things that are positive and the things that need improvement?
• Utilizing what has been learned from the text, the Terminal Course Objectives, and the threaded discussions, analyze what the couple has done or needs to do to maximize everyone’s ability to live as one happy family unit. 
• Cite resources used to support your recommendations and conclusions drawn for the family. 

I never thought I would want to get married again! The girls and I come as a package deal and it’s hard to find someone who is willing to accept that. I know that I cannot replace their mother, but I want to be a friend to Joey and Alex. We are going to have to find rules in our house that we can all live with and that Jason and I can agree on. I know that we are just going to have to be patient and take the time to learn to work together.

Rose and I are both trying to make sure that all the children know that they are our first priority and that we will listen to them and respect their opinions. I also think they need to respect us, and I hope that Rose understands that I know best about parenting my boys, just as she knows best about her girls. It is important for us to have time together away from the responsibilities of parenthood.

We think it would be cool to have big brothers to play with and give us rides places, but we don’t want to have to share our Wii with them. And we don’t like it when they are bossy. And will Mom still have time to braid our hair and tuck us in at night? Jason doesn’t yell at us and tells us funny stories, and besides, some of our friends at school also have step-dads.

Rose is cool enough and her kids are okay, but we really hope we don’t end up having to babysit a lot. And we aren’t going to play dress up or Barbies with anyone! And where are we going to live? Our house only has three bedrooms and hers only has two. We really want our own rooms and don’t want to share a bathroom with all that girl stuff everywhere! And what about school? We’re involved in sports already at our school and it would be really hard to start all over somewhere else! Dad has taken us camping every year for a “just guys” trip. What will happen to that now? Guess there’s not much we can do about it. It does seem like Dad’s happier, though.

Y O U  D E C I D E

Required: During Week 6, each of you will read the case summary and accompanying character descriptions and write a case study outlining the situation observed in the family as a whole and the individuals within it. Students will analyze the situation and critically project their knowledge into making recommendations for the individuals and family and draw a conclusion based on their findings.

Note to the student: You are being graded on your demonstration of reasoning, critical thinking, and analytical abilities in applying what you are learning about parenting, communication, families, and step or blended families. Use your text or outside sources of information to support your statements, and please provide in-text citations and references using APA formatting.

Grading Rubric:

SOLUTION TO THIS PAPER

   The key stakeholders in these families are Rose and Jason along with the children from both the side. Both the parents have been very wise in not rushing up things and making sure that their children’s are comfortable with the happenings from their side. They both have behaved in a very mature manner and won confidence from their children’s so that they won’t have huge adjustment issues. The contradiction to the fact is what would have happened if parents had rushed the issue and the situation don’t turn up positively.

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