Traditionally, a '''stepfamily''' is the dies and one's father marries another woman, the new woman is one's stepmother. The counseling slogan "Stepfamilies are born out of loss" applies to such a case.

In modern stepfamilies, there is recognition that the biological parents may never have married. Unless one biological parent of a stepchild is deceased, typical nuclear stepfamilies do not live in one house, consisting of three or more parents, biological and otherwise. It is also possible, in a less strict sense, that the new mate chooses the role of full- or part-time caregiver without marital commitment. However, it is generally understood that after a "child" reaches adulthood, a parent's subsequent marriage cannot create a stepparent relationship without the adult "child's" express written consent.

In a simple stepfamily, only one stepparent has a prior child or children. Usually this is thought of in terms of minors, but the children of a stepfamily can also be adults. Stepbrothers and stepsisters exist in a '''''blended''''', or '''''complex''''' '''stepfamily.''' In any case, any subsequent children fathered through the new marriage are one's half-blood line, that of the one biological parent. Having a new child does not change the identity of a stepfamily, nor does legal stepchild adoption.<ref>[http://sfhelp.org/03/identity.htm Accept your stepfamily identity and learn what it means!<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

==Etymology==

The earliest recorded use of the prefix ''step-'', in the form ''steop-'', is from an 8th century glossary of Latin-Old English words. ''Steopsunu'' is given for the Latin word ''filiaster'' and ''steopmoder'' for ''nouerca''. Similar words recorded later in Old English include ''stepbairn'', ''stepchild'' and ''stepfather''. The words are used to denote a connection resulting from the remarriage of a widowed parent and are related to the word ''ástíeped'' meaning bereaved, with ''stepbairn'' and ''stepchild'' occasionally used simply as synonyms for ''orphan''. Words such as ''stepbrother'', ''stepniece'' and ''stepparent'' appeared much later and do not have any particular connotation with bereavement. Corresponding words in other Germanic languages include: Old High German ''stiuf-'' and Old Norse ''stjúp-''.<ref>"step-" ''The Oxford English Dictionary''. 2nd ed. 1989. OED Online. Oxford University Press. 4 April 2000 <[http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50237101 Registration required, retrieved 15 December 2006.]></ref>

==Legal status==

Although, historically, stepfamilies are built through the institution of marriage, and are legally recognized, it is currently unclear if a stepfamily can be both established and recognized by less formal arrangements, such as when a man or woman with children cohabits with another man or woman outside of marriage. This relationship is becoming more common in all Western countries. Many divorced parents, often with children, re-couple with new partners outside of traditional marriage.

Historically and to this day, there appear to be many cultures in which these families are recognized socially, as de facto families. However in modern western culture it is often unclear as what, if any, social status and protection they enjoy in law.  

The stepparent is a "legal stranger" in most of the US and has no legal right to the minor child no matter how involved in the child's life they are. The biological parents (and, where applicable, adoptive parents) hold that privilege and responsibility.  In most cases, the stepparent can not be ordered to pay child support.

With regard to unmarried couples; one can easily imagine such social and legal recognition; most notably in the case of common law marriage. Unmarried couples today  may also find recognition locally through community consensus.

Still it is not at all clear what formal parenting roles, rights, responsibilities and social etiquette, should exist between "stepparents" and their "stepchildren". This often leaves the parents in unexpected conflicts with each other, their former spouses and the children.

For all the confusion which stepparents may feel, it is often even less clear to the stepchildren what the interpersonal relationships are, or should be between themselves and their stepsiblings; between themselves and their stepparent; and even between themselves and their birth parents.

These relationships can be extremely complex, especially in circumstances where each "step spouse" may bring children of their own to the home or in households where children are expected to actively participate in each of the newly created families of both birth parents.

Although most stepfamilies can agree on what they do not want to be for one another, they are often hard pressed to agree upon what they do want to be for one another. This makes it difficult for everyone in the family to learn their roles. It is especially difficult for the children, because the roles and expectations of them change as they move between the homes and families of both of their birth parents.''

== Stepparent adoption ==
Stepparents can become legal parents to their stepchildren through the process of [http://stepparent.adoptionblogs.com stepparent adoption]. ''Both'' biological parents must consent, or agree, to the adoption. When a stepparent adopts their stepchild, either the non-custodial parent of the child willingly gives up his or her parental rights to the child, or the court terminates the parental rights of a biological parent if there is evidence of abuse or neglect to the child. If a parent is not involved in the child's life, the court can terminate that biological parents rights on the grounds of abandonment. Grounds for abandonment in most states are no contact between the parent and child for at least one year.  

It is important to check with local laws when looking to complete a stepparent adoption. While having the non-custodial parent consent to the adoption is the easiest way to complete a stepparent adoption, it is still possible to have one completed when they either do not consent, or cannot be located.  

If the biological parent who is not involved in the child's life cannot be found, a stepparent adoption can still occur. Typically, a public notice must be published in the newspaper for 30–45 days, stating the intention to have the biological parents' rights terminated, and the intent for the stepparent to adopt the child. If the biological parent does not respond to the notice, then the stepparent adoption will continue as though the absent parent consented to the adoption. 

==In research==
In her book, ''Becoming a Stepfamily'', Patricia Papernow (1993) suggests that each stepfamily goes through seven distinct stages of development, which can be divided into the Early, Middle, and Late stages. The early stages consist of the Fantasy, Immersion, and Awareness stages. In the Fantasy stage, both children and parents are typically "stuck" in their fantasies or wishes for what their family could be like. The developmental task for this stage is for each member to articulate their wants and needs. In the Immersion stage, the family is typically struggling to live out the fantasy of a "perfect" blended family. In this stage, it is critical for the "insider spouse" (i.e. the biological parent who typically forms the emotional hub of the family) to understand that the feelings of the "outsider spouse" and children are real. The task of this stage is to persist in the struggle to become aware of the various experiences. This stage is followed by the Awareness stage, in which the family gathers information about what the new family looks like (e.g., roles, traditions, "family culture") and how each member feels about it. The tasks of this stage are twofold: individual and joint. The individual task is for each member to begin to put words to the feelings they are experiencing, and to voice their needs to other family members. The joint task is for family members to begin to transcend the "experiential gaps" and to try to form an understanding of other members' roles and experiences.

The middle stages consist of the Mobilization and Action stages. In the Mobilization stage, the stepparent can begin to step forward to address the family's process and structure. The tasks of this stage are to confront differences in each member's perception of the new family, as well as to influence one another without shaming or blaming. In the Action stage, the family begins to take action to reorganize the family structure. The goal here is to make joint decisions about new stepfamily rituals, rules, and roles. The focus in this stage is on the stepfamily's unique "middle ground" (i.e. the "areas of shared experience, shared values, and easy cooperative functioning created over time", p. 39), and on balancing this new middle ground with honoring of past and other relationships.

The later stages consist of the Contact and Resolution stages. In the Contact stage, the couple is working well together, the boundaries between households are clear, and stepparents have definite roles with stepchildren as "intimate outsiders." The task for this stage is in solidifying the stepparent's role, and in continuing the process of awareness. Finally, in the Resolution stage, the stepfamily's identity has become secure. The family accepts itself for who it is, there is a strong sense of the stepfamily's middle ground, and children feel secure in both households. The task for this stage is to nourish the depth and maturity gained through this process, and to rework any issues that might arise at family "nodal events" (e.g., weddings, funerals, graduations, etc.).

==In fiction==
===Stepmothers===<!-- This section is linked from Fairy tale -->
right|300 px|thumb|Illustration of ''Schneewittchen ([[Snow White)'' by Franz Jüttner:  the evil stepmother realizes her stepdaughter has escaped her magic.]]
In fiction, stepmothers are often portrayed as being wicked and character of the wicked stepmother features heavily in The Juniper Tree''<ref>Maria Tatar, p 161, ''The Annotated Classic Fairy Tales'', ISBN 0-393-05163-3.</ref>—sometime, as in ''Green Knight'', the stepmother wins the marriage by ingratiating herself with the stepdaughter, and once she obtains it, becomes cruel.<ref>Marina Warner, ''From the Beast to the Blonde: On Fairy Tales And Their Tellers'', p. 205–206, ISBN 0-374-15901-7.</ref>

In some fairy tales, the stepdaughter's escape by marrying does not free her from her stepmother. After the birth of the stepdaughter's first child, the stepmother may attempt to murder the new mother and replace her with her own daughter—thus making her the stepmother to the next generation.  Such a replacement occurs in ''The Wonderful Birch'', ''Brother and Sister'', and ''The Three Little Men in the Wood''; only by foiling the stepmother's plot (and usually executing her), is the story brought to an happy ending<ref>Maria Tatar, ''The Hard Facts of the Grimms' Fairy Tales'', p. 147–8, ISBN 0-691-06722-8.</ref> In the Korean Folktale Janghwa Hongreyon, the stepmother kills her own stepdaughters.

'''Przybrana rodzina''' &ndash; małżeństwa przez owdowiałego lub rozwiedzionego małżonka oraz ewentualnie dzieci własnych tego nowego małżonka.

Tradycyjnej ''rodziny przybranej'' nie tworzą rodzice żyjący w konkubinacie (tj. bez małżeństwa). Przyjmując szeroką definicję rodziny, można jednak dopuścić stosowanie tego określenia również wobec konkubentów, skoro głównym wyznacznikiem jest posiadanie niewspólnych dzieci.

== Nazewnictwo ==
Dla dzieci rodzica biorącego ślub jego kolejny ojciec) lub '''macocha''' (przybrana matka). Dla osoby mającej małżonka, który<!--NIE zaś która--> posiada dzieci z poprzednich związków, dzieci takie nazywane są ''przybranymi'' i są to '''pasierb''' (przybrany spokrewnione (w drugim stopniu linii bocznej).

== Wykresy genealogiczne ==
Wykresy genealogiczne przedstawiają relacje w rodzinie przybranej dla danego probanta:

=== Dzieci ===
      (A)                 (B)                   (C)                   (D)                (E)
    poprzedni           pierwszy                                    drugi              następny
 małżonek/partner    małżonek/partner         PROBANT           małżonek/partner    małżonek/partner  
     osoby B           probanta C                                 probanta C         osoby B lub D
        │                  │ │                  │ │                   ││                  │
        └────────┬─────────┘ └────────┬─────────┘ └────────┬──────────┘└────────┬─────────┘
                 │                    │                    │                    │
              dziecko             dziecko               dziecko            obce = cudze
             przybrane            rodzone               rodzone              dziecko
       (pasierb, pasierbica)

=== Rodzice i rodzeństwo ===
       (A)                 (B)                  (C)                   (D)                (E)
    poprzedni            rodzic               rodzic               następny       poprzedni/następny
 małżonek/partner        rodzony             rodzony           małżonek/partner    małżonek/partner
 rodzica rodzonego   (ojciec/matka)        (matka/ojciec)      rodzica rodzonego     osoby A lub D
     B lub C               │ │                   │ │           (ojczym/macocha)           │
        │                  │ │                   │ │                   │ │                │
        └────────┬─────────┘ └───┬─────────┬─────┘ └────────┬──────────┘ └────────┬───────┘
                 │               │         │                │                     │
           rodzeństwo        PROBANT   rodzeństwo      rodzeństwo           rodzeństwo
           przyrodnie                   rodzone        przyrodnie           "przybrane"

== Rodzeństwo przybrane ==
Według przepisów prawa rodzinnego, dzieci obojga przybranych rodziców z ich '''poprzednich''' związków nie są ze sobą spokrewnione ani spowinowacone, ale można je nazywać '''rodzeństwem przybranym''' (przybrany potocznie nazywa się je również rodzeństwem ''przyrodnim'' (obie nazwy nieprawidłowe). Ze względu na brak skutków prawnych takich, jak dla rodzeństwa rodzonego (np. zakazy małżeńskie, odmowa zeznań), a także ze względu na (z reguły) nikłe kontakty osobiste takiego rodzeństwa, często mówi się, że takie rodzeństwo '''nie jest prawdziwe''', a rodzonych braci i siostry nazywa się ''prawdziwym'' rodzeństwem. Uwaga ta dotyczy tylko rodzeństwa ''przybranego'' a już nie przyrodniego.

== Rodzic przybrany ==
Przybrane niepełnoletnie dzieci mogą być adoptowane przez rodzica przybranego (w razie wdowieństwa z przyznaniem władzy rodzicielskiej) bądź wychowywane bez zmiany statusu prawnego rodziny. Wiek (członków rodziny.