Combining families with kids can be tough and offers even more unexpected problems. You just don't know how things will shake out until everyone is under one roof, trying on new roles with name that start with "step". This is what happened to Sheila and Will, and Sheila's 8-year-old daughter Ashley. After the couple got married, and Will became the member of the new family, things got worse than expected. How did they make it work? Read the full version of the story here. Shelia's Turn: When Shelia and Will were dating, he seemed like kids, especially Ashley. He'd bring her presents, play games with her. But after the wedding, things took a turn. Will suddenly became a super strict stepfather, scolding Ashley for watching too much cartoons, constantly picking fights and punishing her for offenses as small as spilling milk. Shelia's thought about leaving Will, but soon after they married, they had a son, Billy. Will adores his well-behaved boy, but Ashley hates him. Shelia doesn't know what to do--- her daughter is miserable, but leaving her husband might mean losing her son. Will's turn: Will was so excited to be a male role model in Ashley's life. He didn't just want to be a guy living in her house; he wanted to treat her like his own daughter, which, to Will, meant giving Ashley more rules and help her learn responsibility. He'd always felt that Shelia let Ashley loose on everything. But after the wedding, Will was surprised that Shelia didn't want him to do that. If Will takes away Ashley's TV privileges or tells her to clean up her room, Shelia just lets Ashley do what she likes and does it herself. Will was tired of this and he'd rather take his son and go. The advisor's turn: The counselor  quickly recognized their conflict as a classic case of unspoken, hidden expectations. Before the wedding, when it was just Shelia and Will, everything was easy. But now, everyone in their big family is competing for attention, and the couple never sat down and discussed the biggest issue---their child-upbringing philosophies . The counselor suggested Shelia allow Will to give some rules on Ashley but Will's punishments couldn't be extreme. Once Ashley saw that her mom and stepdad had become a united front, she cooperated more. It can be inferred from the passage that the advisor's attitude to their problem?
Negative Objective Critical . Subjective