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<< Step families
Step families case study
Kristina Brotherton, 28, from Evesham, says: "My husband Steve was married
before with a son, Scott, but his wife died. After we got married, we
had two boys: Ashley, who's now three and Harry, who's four months.
"When I met Scott he took to me straight away. When Steve and
I moved in together, I immediately went part-time at work so I could look
after Scott. It was difficult not having had children before but we got on okay.
"He didn't call me Mummy at first, he called me Kris. But then
I received a letter from a child psychologist who had been seeing him
who said he wanted to call me Mummy so ever since then, he has. He
never tried to talk to me about his real mother, although there have been
times when he's cried and asked why she died.
"I'd always wanted children of my own and we talked about it
with Scott right from the start and he was over the moon and told everybody.
"Problems began when I had my own sons. It was only when I had
my son that I realised I couldn't love Scott as much as I thought I
could. So I overcompensated and spoiled Scott even more. 
"We went through a year of hell, when Scott behaved so badly.
He never rejected Ashley but when he was two, Scott said 'I wish he hadn't
been born'. Otherwise, the relationship is perfectly normal. They play
nicely and they fight, like all siblings.
"When Ashley was a baby, and now with Harry, Scott helped
change his nappy and fed him for me and cuddled him. I think Scott is possibly
jealous of Ashley, but no more than Ashley is jealous of Harry."
Where to next?
- Share your own experiences of dealing with the
challenges of step-parenting on our Step-families
discussion board
- Read what Anna Raeburn had to say about uniting
families with a new baby on icircle Relationships
- Parentline Plus confidential helpline: 0808 800
2222
- Relate family counselling helpline: 0870 601 2121
- Suzie Hayman's Relate Guide To Second Families is published by Vermilion
and priced £9.99. Visit Alphabetstreet.co.uk
to buy it or read a review
- Read more babyworld features
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