A stepfamily, blended family, bonus family, or instafamily is a family where at least one parent has children that are not biologically or adoptive related to the other spouse. Either parent, or both, may have children from previous relationships or marriages.

What is considered a step parent?

A stepparent is the spouse of someone's parent, and not their biological or adoptive parent, stepfather being the male spouse and stepmother the female spouse. A step-grandparent is not someone's biological or adoptive grandparent, stepgrandfather being the male one, and stepgrandmother the female one.

What is the role of a stepparent?

The initial role of a stepparent is that of another caring adult in a child's life, similar to a loving family member or mentor. You may desire a closer bond right away, and might wonder what you're doing wrong if your new stepchild doesn't warm up to you or your kids as quickly as you'd like.