Parenting help

Whether you are becoming a step parent or you already are one the path can be unpredictable and unclear.  Some families merge really well while others struggle for years – and unfortunately there is no guide to help you with this.  At Stepfamilies Australia we offer some much need resources for those contemplating joining or those who are struggling once already there.

Counselling

Research has shown that those families that get some counselling by a practitioner trained specifically in step and blended family dynamics have better long-term outcomes (in terms of relationship building) than those that don’t.  That being said it is never too late to try some specialised counselling.  Stepfamilies are a unique family type that requires a different approach when it comes to offering support – check out our list of counsellors to see if there is one in your area that could benefit you and your family.

Books

We have a selection of books listed for both parents and children that could help you and your children come to terms with the differing dynamics of their family structure.

Tip sheets

Our tipsheets are aimed at step parents, children and siblings, biological parents and grandparents.  They were co-created with stepfamilies. We also helped to create the tips and tools on the Raising Children’s Network site – there resources can be found here: http://raisingchildren.net.au/blended_families/blended_and_stepfamilies.html

Courses

Currently we are offering couples who reside in Melbourne who are in a stepfamily a day’s training called Stepping Up.  In the future we are hoping to put this training online so that we can offer it to everyone in Australia. It is really helpful to meet and hear from parents going through experiences similar to yours.  Stepfamilies Australia is partnering with other service providers around Australia who will also run these courses click here to see if there is a provider near you.

Stepfamilies Australia is currently being supported by drummond street services (a not for profit organisation in Victoria which promotes wellbeing for life).  drummond street services have a number of parenting courses they run for free (if you live in Victoria) that are a great way to learn, grow and tackle some of the challenging things that you face as a parent, or in your family life. These parenting courses are run by parent educators. Experienced facilitators with years of expertise in helping parents manage the ups and downs of raising children, our parent educators believe that people can build on their strengths and aim for good enough parenting, not perfect parenting! For an overview of the current Seminars and Groups run in each location click here.

If you are a professional interested in learning more about our parenting framework, click here to download it.