One out of two marriages ends in divorce, according to the U.S. Census Bureau 66% of marriages and living together situations end in break up, when children are actively involved, according to Stepfamily Foundation statistics. It is predicted that 50% of children in the US will go through a divorce before they are 18. Approximately half of all Americans are currently involved in some form of step relationship. By the year 2000, according to the Census Bureau, more Americans will be living in step families than in nuclear families(Beverly Bliss, Ph.D. Clinical Psychologist, Madison, WI)
It is because of these statistics that we should all be aware that as steparents we do not have any legal rights when it comes to the children that we care for and love. We deserve to have rights when it comes to our children and we are not just steparents as they call us. Many of us take on and actively participate in the duty's of the biological parents on a everyday year round basis but we are still just "steparents". why is it we can help with homework, sign them up for sports, drive them to and from activities, mentor them, help shape them in to the adults that we so hope they will become, love them, nurture them, wash their clothes, remind them to brush their teeth, worry about them 24 hours a day seven days a week, blame ourselves when they make a bad decision, make sure they are eating healthy, teach them to ride a bike, make their scrapbooks for them, see them as our children and not our "stepchildren" why is it ok for us to do all of this but we are forbidden to take part in things like conferences without two parents signitures, be involved in the biological parents schedule for visititation, we aren't supposed to bring them to the doctor after staying up all night with them because of the flu. It doesnt matter how long we have been in their lives, or how unbreakable the bond that has developed over the years we are still just called steparents and I think it is time for this to change!!!
