When a couple falls in love and has children, they surely do it thinking that they will stay together for a lifetime. But sometimes things for some reason do not work and make the decision to separate. After a while, some fathers find again someone they feel happy and start a new relationship.
Many of us might think that these new families are complex to function and organize, but a viral photo shows us that when there is good teamwork, shared custody is something enjoyed.
Emilee Player is a stepmother of a four-year-old girl named Maelyn, daughter of a previous relationship with her husband Ricky. A few days ago she shared an image on her Facebook where she, her husband, Maelyn and her mother Clara Cazeau appear, as well as her husband, Alex Cazeau.
In the image they all appear on their backs, in what seems to be a game they went to support Maelyn. Each one appears with a t-shirt that reads the role they have in the girl's life: Emilee is the stepmother, Ricky the dad, Clara the mom and Alex the stepfather.
In addition to this sweet image that shows us that it is possible to have a good relationship after a divorce, it teaches us that when there is a good attitude and organization, shared custody between two reconstituted or assembled families can work.
"Thanks to us I will never think that shared custody cannot work. I KNOW through the experience that IT CAN WORK! Choose to do what is best for your child and everything will simply settle in place.", is the message with which Emilee accompanies the image, which has already been shared more than 87,000 times.
Regarding some negative comments they have received, Emilee comments on the following in an interview for Parents: "We have had people saying that this is not the way things should be and that we are confusing our daughter. In my eyes, what we are doing is normal. There is a lot of hate in the world these days. Our children need to see the love we have for each other".
According to Emilee, the four have had joint custody of Maelyn for three years, so their routine is normal for them. "My favorite part of sharing custody with Clara is how accessible she has been in me being the 'other' mom. We really are like best friends. You could say we do everything together".
It's nice to see reconstituted families that work and this big family is a good example of this, however I don't know if something like this could work for everyone.
Do you have a reconstituted family? How are they organized?
