Advice about stepkids?

I was in the identical situation, I was the step-kid. My step-father was not the usual parental age. We were close enough in age that he ended up being more a friend, than a parent.

Now, when I screwed up, I still got busted, and often times in pretty deep trouble, so there was still a great deal of authority figure in the relationship. What I can say, is that compared to my friends, who had more traditional upbringings, it is better. I had friends who would hide their bad grades from their parents, lie to them, do drugs behind their backs, drink behind their backs etc.Basically, all the things every kid does before they learn a few life lessons.

I never had to hide any of that, as my step-dad was more my friend. There was no point in lying to him, he would know I was full of it, and I would only get in more trouble for lying.As long as I was honest, things were ok, even if I messed up pretty bad. I am well into being a grown up now.

I moved out when I was in my late teens. I have been self employed since high school. I came out of high school with a 4.0 GPA.

I did all the bad things a kid does, and probably more, and as long as I did not lie, I was told to not do it again, and that was that. I have taught myself to program on my own, and have started several businesses over the years, all but one a success. I tell you this because there will always be concern that being more a friend than a parent will lead the kid down a road of sex, drugs and rock and roll so to speak.

Kids are going to go down that road if they want to. If you can guide them down that road in the safest way possible that is all you can do. If you can do that as a friend, with mutual respect, when they do something that you know is wrong, and you tell them, you have a much better chance of them listening out of respect.

I got good grades in high school because I did not want to let my step-father down. Over time, I got good grades because I did not want to let myself down. You will be fine.

Embrace your situation. I value it so much, I am now worried I have let myself get too old to have kids. I do not want to be 60 when my kids are 18.

I will not be able to relate to them, nor will they be able to relate to me. Set boundaries, be fair, you will be fine.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.