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About Dr. M and Molly
Dr. M is the author of five advice books, including Getting to Know the Real You: 50 Fun Quizzes Just for Girls, and Girls: What's So Bad About Being Good? How to Have Fun, Survive the Preteen Years, and Remain True to Yourself, both written with her teenage daughter. Dr. M shares this advice column with Molly, a middle school student who loves to play soccer, dance, write and spend time with her friends.
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Family
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Dear Dr. M and Liz,
How do I handle a new stepfather, stepsister, and stepbrother? It's all so confusing.
—Melanie, 9, California
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Dr. M's Answer

Dear Melanie,
Having a new person in the family always means an adjustment. And for you, you have to get used to three new people, which is particularly hard. You're probably feeling confused because you want your mom to be happy, but at the same time you're a little jealous that she is giving time and attention to other people, including your step-siblings. Give yourself time to get used to this new family, work at accepting them (it might help to remind yourself about how important this is to your mom), and when you need to, talk to your mom about your feelings.

Illustration of Liz
Liz's Answer
Dear Melanie,
The first thing you should do is get to know your new step-family. Maybe you could have a game night and each person could bring their favorite board game. Things might still be confusing, but having fun together should be a good start to getting along and figuring out your new family situation.
 
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