Term
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Definition
| Adults expect a smooth and quick adjustment while children expect that the stepparent will disappear and their parents will be reunited. |
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Term
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Definition
| Tension producing conflict emerges between the stepfamily’s two biological “subunits”. |
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Term
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Definition
| family members realize that their early fantasies are not becoming reality. |
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Term
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Definition
| Family members initiate efforts toward change. |
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Term
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Definition
| Remarried adults decide to form a solid alliance, family boundaries are better clarified, and there are more positive stepparent-stepchild interaction. |
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Term
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Definition
| The stepparent become a significant adult family figure, and the couple assumes more control. |
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Term
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Definition
| The stepfamily achieves integration and appreciates its unique identity as a stepfamily. |
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