There’s no doubt in the fact that it can get tricky for a child to accept a new parent. While sometimes a child may grow to think of a step-parent as a “mom” or a “dad,” that isn’t always the case.

Imagine being raised by your dad after your mom dies. If your dad remarried, would you eventually think of your stepmom as a replacement mom, or would she never be anything more to you than your dad’s ...