A reconstructed family forms when parents, who have kids from past relationships, combine to create a new family. This family model has complex relationships and roles. The reasons for reconstructed families include more divorces and open attitudes about family structures.
Formation and Structure
For a reconstructed family to form, a previous family must break up due to separation, divorce, or death. The new family model does not follow fixed criteria. Some possibilities are: one parent brings a child from a past relationship, both parents bring kids, or one brings kids and the other has none.
Challenges and Interventions
Kids may resist changes when parents remarry. Parents can get frustrated when the new family does not function like the previous one. Family therapy interventions, like Virginia Satir’s "Family Reconstruction," can help. This dramatic reenactment of significant past events helps family members understand and adjust to their new roles.
Reconstructed families face different challenges than nuclear families. In first marriages, couples bond before dealing with kids. Remarried couples assume parental roles immediately, without first developing their couple relationship. Previous relationship issues can also cause problems.