You don’t always know what made the difference…until you look back.
Adult stepchildren with healthy relationships with their stepparent were asked to look back and talk about what shifted the relationship in a positive way. One turning point centered on the extraordinary efforts of the stepparent to show kindness to the stepchild. Acts of service that required going out of their way to express love for the child changed the direction of the relationship. Now here’s the catch: the positive impact on the child and relationship—may not be evident for a long time.