Minor rant here but step-parents always get the shaft. There are only a few subs where it’s not automatically assumed they’re the bad guys. I think a lot of people either don’t understand it because they haven’t experienced it or they just haven’t finished growing into adulthood yet. They still lack the emotional maturity to see their parents and step-parents as actual human beings. 

I personally hate the “They became your kids when you got married too” and “You have to love them like you own, treat them exactly like you do your own kids” bit people always pull. It’s like they’re trying to mentally bend the universe to their will because they want a Yours, Mine and Ours ending. 

Reality??? A majority of SKs don’t want another parent. Most involved bioparents don’t want or allow steps to actually parent. The fact that a divorce preceded all these new relationships has already affected everyone negatively. That does tend to interfere with the whole big happy family fantasy. Every blended family does it differently and it’s ignorant to judge based on what should happen in a traditional, intact family.