Extended Family + Grandparents

[hc4361]

My friend's adult son is divorced from wife number 1 with whom he has one daughter, now in her mid teens. Wife 1 has since remarried and has a son with her new husband. Her husband also has children from a previous relationship.

He then married wife 2 who already had a son and they have 3 children.

Wife 2 left him and is now pregnant to another man and he is now in a new relationship with a woman with 2 children whom he is now living with.

So my friend has 4 grandchildren from her son and two daughters-in-law, but there will soon be 9 children in this extended family.

My question is: Should my friend treat all 9 children the same? I'm sure my friend's situation is not unique.

[friedgreentomato]

My father has a new family with 4 stepchildren, so he treats all the 'adult' children the same and all the 'young' children the same.

[woofgang]

I agree. The kids didn't choose the situation and it would be wrong to make differences between them apart from adults and kids.

[tamborine]

My nephew had 2 sons with divorced wife and married current wife with 2 sons from previous OH & 3 sons with my nephew; 7 extra pressies !

I send him ties for his birthday & not for his neck.

[friedgreentomato]

It works very well woof, as we adults don't need as much care and attention as the kids.

[ummmm]

It would depend on the relationship.

My sons have 2 brothers and a sister they have little contact with.

My daughter has 2 sisters who she has daily contact with....the girls are part of our family.

[Sqad]

That would be your friends "adult son's "problem.

If i were your friend........I would treat them all equally.......ignore them all.