I decided to make this hub because there seems to be a dearth of info. on what its like being a step parent.

Now I know that there are a lot of us about. After all 50% of first marriages,65% of second marriages and 75% of third marriages end in divorce.

Several months into a new relationship we suddenly realised that if we got together we would be the dreaded--STEP PARENTS

Collectively we have one son and two daughters, and at that time were all teenagers,son just gone to university.

We decided that we must be honest with them and tell them straight that a) we weren't going back to how we were in our old relationships and b) we are going to be together.

Now I've had a look at a couple of hubs on this subject and in particular the one from Patty Inglish where she advises getting things in writing,seeing counsellor etc.

We did none of these.

We just did what I think most couples do--jump straight in.

The kids seemed to just shrug it off when we first told them,they were very "cool"

But as time went by things changed. Son dropped out of university, eldest daughter became hippy, youngest started being stroppy .

As son was away I decided to concentrate my efforts on the girls, my step daughters. Told them that I would never try to replace their Dad and would encourage them to see him as much as they wanted.

There were the inevitable rows where teenager screams at parent, but as a step parent you get a different line of insults.

You get "you're not my dad so you can't tell me what to do" and lots more in that ilk.

Now I suppose that we may have had all the angst anyway as they were normal teenagers, but i don't know if they would be the same and quite as vitriolic. Here is where maybe I am being to touchy, cos i was also very aware of being step parent.

Advise--don't give it as all are different, but all I can say is that we all stuck at it and now ten years down the line we have a brilliant relationship with all our children and now with their children

Yep we're not just step parents we are step grand parents

lifes great innit??