Technically speaking, the Australia Bureau of Statistics (ABS) defines a blended family as a couple family with at least one natural or adopted child of both partners and at least one step-child of either partner. As at the 2021 Census, 12 per cent of couple families with dependent children were either step- or blended families. So, you’re definitely not alone.

In speaking with experts on In The Blend, and through her own lived experience, Laura Jenkins has created The Bonus Mum Blueprint to provide guidance and strategies specifically  for stepmums, addressing common challenges they face, including adjustment difficulties, discipline differences, loyalty conflicts — and the many, many other all-consuming situations that pop up in blended family life.

For Laura Jenkins, who grew up in a blended family and is now raising one of her own, this was one of her biggest questions. Ultimately, your role in a blended family will vary depending on your specific circumstances, relationships, and personal preferences. The Bonus Mum Blueprint course will help you get clarity on how to approach your new role, taking these factors into account.

There is help and advice for blended families on the Family Relationships Online Australian Government website. The purpose of The Bonus Mum Blueprint and In The Blend is to provide complementary resources for blended families seeking support, which are grounded in lived experience, expert knowledge and an emphasis on building community and connection digitally and in real life.

Comparison is the thief of joy. There is no ‘normal’ family. If you worry about what anyone else is doing — you’ll second guess how you’re taking up your new role. Start by being present, remaining calm, and modelling the behaviour you’d like the kids to replicate. The Bonus Mum Blueprint goes deep on all the how-tos of creating a loving and logistically humming blended family.