Keeping up with life in a blended family

When I was growing up there was no such thing as a "blended" family.

There was still a strong social stigma attached to divorce and I dare say plenty of people felt trapped in a marriage they could not leave.

While there was no white picket fence around the comfortable four-bedroom house in the cul-de-sac where my family lived, there was no divorce or separation either.

There was me, my two sisters and our parents. Mum and Dad were married 42 years till his death.

It was all very middle-class and conservative. Dad earned the dough and he was the boss. Mum ran the house and organised us kids. Sure, there were arguments and fallouts and us kids got whacked when we stepped out line. But that was the done thing.

Read more...http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/parenting/71750307/duncan-garner-keeping-up-with-life-in-a-blended-family