Stepfamily Foundation Research Questionnaire 4

IMPORTANT

TELL US ABOUT YOU

name:

Date:

Phone Home:

Phone Office:

Cell Phone:

Address:

e-mail address:

Your Occupation

Your Partner's Occupation

Your age:

Your Partner's age:

Sex: M F

Years of Schooling:

I am a female who is in my first marriage and married to a man with children.

I am a male who is in my first marriage and married to a woman with children.

• Mother Whose Children Live with Her

• Stepmother

• M/F Partners with Mutual Child(ren)

• Grandmother

• Grandfather

• Step Grandmother

• Step Grandfather

Using a scale of 1-5 check a number next to each statement as it applies.

1. Overall this is a happy partnership.

1 2 3 4 5

2. We love each other, but our differences over the children are making our relationship difficult.

1 2 3 4 5

3. My expectation was that re-coupling would not be this difficult.

1 2 3 4 5

4. I know a stepfamily just doesn’t always work like a biological family.

1 2 3 4 5

5. I do not know how a stepfamily works.

1 2 3 4 5

6. Knowing who comes first --- the partner or the kids --- is difficult for us.

1 2 3 4 5

7. I am not clear as to what my position and role is in this stepfamily.

1 2 3 4 5

8. The prior spouse is a problem.

1 2 3 4 5

9. We cannot agree on discipline and expected behaviors of the children.

1 2 3 4 5

10. The child(ren)'s visitation causes upsets between us.

1 2 3 4 5

11. Guilt seems to run the biological parent's relationship withhis/her child(ren).

1 2 3 4 5

12. There is so much blaming of each other in the stepfamily.

1 2 3 4 5

13. I feel like an outsider and left out when my partner's kids visit.

1 2 3 4 5

14. My partner's child is misbehaving.

1 2 3 4 5

15. My child misbehaves when my partner is there.

1 2 3 4 5

16. We disagree over money.

1 2 3 4 5

17. Money… we disagree, especially regarding the children.

1 2 3 4 5

18. The ex "badmouths."

1 2 3 4 5

19. As a step mother, and his partner, I feel he does not discipline his children appropriately.

1 2 3 4 5

20. As a step father, and her partner, I feel she does not discipline her children appropriately.

1 2 3 4 5

21. As a step mother, I feel my ideas about rules and the children are not important to my partner.

1 2 3 4 5

22. As a step father, I feel my ideas about rules and the children are not important to my partner.

1 2 3 4 5

23. As a biological father, who’s children visit, I am concerned that they will not want to visit me.

1 2 3 4 5

24. As a biological father, whose children visit, I have difficulties  with rules and discipline.

1 2 3 4 5

25. Our major issue of dispute is the children.

1 2 3 4 5

26. Our major issue of dispute is the ex spouse.

1 2 3 4 5

27. I dislike my stepchild(ren).

1 2 3 4 5

28. I have trouble with my children when they visit.

1 2 3 4 5

29. I lose time at my work due to conflicts over the children.

1 2 3 4 5

30. This family has a negative impact on my work.

1 2 3 4 5

31. I spend more time on the phone regarding concerns with my family.

1 2 3 4 5

32. I use sick days or personal days more than I did before.

1 2 3 4 5

32. The increased demands for time and for my family have impaired my productivity and focus.

1 2 3 4 5

33. I delayed marriage in order to focus on my career.

1 2 3 4 5

34. I never actively or consciously decided to delay marriage but the right man/woman just did not appear.

1 2 3 4 5