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What associations does the word stepparent bring to mind? Do you think of a mean, selfish person like Cinderella's stepmother? Here is the meaning of "stepparent" for a writer who is a stepparent.Exercise 1. Number the sentences within each paragraph to form the best logical order. Vocabulary | | acquire: get, obtain. | | advocate: a person who argues for the wishes of another. | | co-conspirator: one who aids in an unlawful plan. | | connotations: feelings and associations suggested by a word. | | ego: self-pride, self-esteem. | | ogre: monster, horrible giant that eats humans. | | suspect (used as an adjective): open to suspicion. | | reminiscing: thinking or talking about the past. | | superficial: dealing only with the surface, shallow, lacking deep | | | understanding. | | tabloid: small size newspaper often with much sensationalistic | | | news and gossip. | whims: sudden wishes or desires. |
| I. | I | | ____ It simply describes a stepparent as "the person who has married one's parent after the death or divorce of the other parent." | | | ____ Webster's gives a rather superficial definition of the word "stepparent." | | | ____ However, most stepparents have had experiences that give a much broader meaning to the word. | | | ____ This definition makes it seem easy to be a stepparent. |
| | II. | II | | ____ But the word still sounds ugly and carries mean connotations. | | | ____ Today, as the divorce rate soars, the stepparent is becoming a common member of the family unit. | | | 3+̱ For centuries, stepparents have received more than their fair share of unkind press. |
| | | | | ____ In fact, due to these and other stories, stepmothers have become so suspect that many tales made up by children contain a "wicked stepmother" who terrorizes everyone in the fantasy. | | | ____ After all, wasn't it Cinderella's stepmother who almost worked the poor child to death? | | | ____ And wasn't Snow White's stepmother so jealous that she tried to kill the little princess? | | | 7+̱ Stepfathers haven't fared much better. | | | Mr. Murdstone in David Copperfield proved to be about as cruel as a stepfather could be. | | | And tabloids have spread the news of stepfathers who have abused, molested, and murdered their stepchildren. | | | ____ In Hamlet, it was his stepfather who tried to murder the Danish prince. |
| | IV. | III | | ____ Now I hear protests of, "You don't know my stepmother (or stepfather)!" from some of you, and I admit you are right. | | | ____ Although in reality some stepparents are wicked and abusive, many more are nothing but good and kind to their stepchildren. | | | ____ But if the majority of you are honest, you will have to admit that your stepparent really isn't an ogre waiting for the chance to ruin your life forever. | | | ____ I don't know your stepparent, and he or she may be terrible. |
| | V. | IV | | ____ And through the games of ego versus ego versus id, I have learned well the roles I am expected to play. | | | ____ The experiences that I've had are like a mixture of homemade sweet and sour sauce; even now I never know just what the "taste" of any situation is going to be. | | | ____ Putting all the fantastic tales and dictionary definitions aside, believe I know what a stepparent really is because for 5 years I've known the burdens and the joys that accompany the title. |
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| V. | V | | ____ I have also learned how to act at my husband's family gatherings when the other grandparents drop in and stay for hours reminiscing about the happy times when "the children" were married. | | | ____ As a stepparent I have learned to play the role of the cause for the breakup of my husband's first marriage and the disruptive effects it had on my stepchild, even though the marriage ended long before my husband and I met. |
| | VI. | VI | | ____ And early in my marriage I learned how to play the one who stayed at home when an outing suddenly became a "twosome." | | | 2+̱ Then I was expected to be the "absentee" when they could be present. | | | ____ Another role I learned was that of the "attendee" (my word) at school plays, dance recitals, and music extravaganzas when the real parents couldn't be there. | | | ____ But the most hurtful part I learned to play was how to watch my stepchild give good night kisses to everyone in the room -- except me. |
| | VII. | VII | | ____ And more than once I have been a protector when tasks went undone or standards were not met. | | | 2+̱ Also, I have been the advocate when whiney whims became angry demands that soon turned to pitiful cries. | | | ____ Some of the sweeter times have occurred when my role required me to become a co-conspirator in helping acquire some wanted treasure, such as roller skates, a bicycle, or a computer. | | | ____ But these feelings lasted only until it was time for the child to visit the other parent, and he rushed off without remembering to say good-bye. | | | ____ During those times I said to myself, "I am the only person in the world who really understands this child." |
| | VIII. | VIII | | ____ Who knows, maybe I'll even be invited to the wedding. | | | ____ Sometimes I think I do it just to find out if the good times will ever catch up with the bad ones. | | | ____ It is not easy to ride the emotional seesaw of stepparenthood day after day. | | | Exercise 2. Write the sentences in the order you numbered them to form an extended definition paper for "stepparent." |
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