On step-parenting

In the Telegraph:

"The slow burn of resentment took hold. I couldn't help weighing up just how much I did for my stepdaughters and just how little I received in the way of appreciation. It was a frightening descent into a world of jealousy, with each person desperate to guard their territory. For this is the reality of the newly formed step-family. There is no shared ground, just a sharp division between two factions: the partnership and the blood relatives. The step-parent and stepchildren stare at each other across the no-man's land of their non-existent relationship. Being disliked does not bring out the best in any of us. The scorn of youngsters who have such an undeniable and eternal place in the heart of their parent is unbearable. Which is why every step-parent needs to build a mental life-raft to keep their self-esteem afloat...