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VENTURING OUT OF THE ORDINARY: HANDLING BLENDED HOMES THROUGH THE LENS OF PARENTS

Volume: 151  ,  Issue: 1 , June    Published Date: 22 June 2024
Publisher Name: IJRP
Views: 160  ,  Download: 158 , Pages: 132 - 156    
DOI: 10.47119/IJRP1001511620246827

Authors

# Author Name
1 April M. Asi

Abstract

The study delved into the lived experience of parents who handled blended homes. The research design used was qualitative with phenomenology as an approach. The study explored the experiences of parents who handled blended homes in several barangays in Lipa City. Using the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, the study generated ten (10) superordinate themes which were Achieving Self Differentiation and Establishing Boundaries, Dyadic Relationship and Triangulation through Physical Attachment and Detachment, Emotional Cut Off, No observable Influence of Sibling Position, Different Ways of Processing Family Emotions, Projecting Unresolved Emotional Issues, Expecting Multigenerational Continuity and Understanding Emotions in Social Context. Parents who handled blended homes represented resilience and adaptability of families, highlighting the importance of understanding and communication in building a harmonious and nurturing family. Though misunderstandings, challenges, and family tensions usually arose due to the absence of emotional connection. Parents had a hard time doing their role for children always saw them as the antagonist in the story. Despite those, they showed that families could evolve and thrive from previous experiences of separation or loss, exemplifying the human capacity to heal and love again, highlighting their ability to create new bonds and meaningful connections. Effective communication was also vital. It was through communication that misunderstandings could be addressed, emotions could be expressed, and relationships could be strengthened. One more fascinating thing about couples from blended homes was that they protected their family at any cost, they resolved the conflict before the day ended since they had been in a broken relationship before. As an output, a parent-child program that aimed to bring blended families together to strengthen their bonds and create lasting memories was proposed.

Keywords

  • blended homes
  • emotional connection
  • communication
  • parents
  • children
  • interpretative phenomenological analysis