Wednesday is National Stepfamily Day, celebrating and recognizing the unique aspects of blended families. They may be becoming more and more common, but that doesn’t make them any easier to live in. Gather your mixed clan and check out one of these movies. Use the movie you choose to spur discussions on the difficulties faced by stepfamilies, common misconceptions of stepfamilies, and how your blended family works or can get better.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs – The one that started it all – in more ways than one. It may be the first Disney animated movie, but this is also where the concept of the evil stepmother began.
Cinderella – The classic stepfamily movie. Disney reinforces the evil stepmother persona and throws in evil siblings, to boot.
Nanny McPhee – The McPhee children balk at the new nanny, but really despise the Mamma-to-be. A tale of children turning the tables on the cruel stepmother before she even joins the family.
Yours, Mine, and Ours – A widow with ten kids and a widower with eight kids get married. Shenanigans ensue. Watch the original or the remake – both are great.
Stepmom – This one is for families with teens. It’s one of the rare movies that deals with the stepparent’s view of the new situation when two families combine. A touching, hopeful portrayal.
Whether you are part of a stepfamily or not, it’s a good idea to watch these movies. We could all learn how to get along better with our families – biological or not.
