A Qualitative Analysis of Difficulties on Transition Days in Blended Families

The current qualitative research study focused on the difficulties experienced by individuals in stepfamilies or blended families on transition days. A transition day is the day a child prepares to leave one custodial home and go to another, or vice-versa. Parents in various stages of stepfamily development and varying demographics were interviewed regarding transition day. The theme “difficulties” emerged throughout the coding process. Difficulties were further broken down into subthemes: difficulty and disconnect, difficulty and age of children, and difficulty and different households. Through a more in-depth understanding of transition days in stepfamilies, immediate assistance may be provided to families who are in various stages of stepfamily/blended family formation. Lastly, advice for current stepfamilies and future stepfamilies is discussed.