A stepparent recently asked me, “Ron, what do you do with the hot and cold from stepkids? I mean, one minute they love me and the next they want nothing to do with me.”
When a child feels confused about liking you or disloyal about it they back away. So here are some tips for building a bridge to your stepchild’s heart. First, have compassion for how hard this is for them. They’re not trying to manipulate you. They like you are just confused about your relationship. Give them some grace. Second, enjoy it when they are leaning toward you but realize they may go back and forth. Give them time and who knows with patience they might lean towards you more and more.