At any other backyard party, Bryan would be smiling. He loved barbecues. Guests at his house always asked to see the tree fort he and his dad had spent last summer building - even the ones too scared to climb up to the top admired it from the ground.

But today wasn't a regular barbecue. This barbecue was to celebrate his dad's new wife, Brenda. She wasn't too bad. She had actually helped them paint the tree fort last fall. No, it wasn't Brenda that Bryan didn't like. It was her son, Mike. Until the wedding, Bryan only had to see Mike every few weeks. Mostly, they ignored each other and that was fine with Bryan. But now, he and Mike would be living under the same roof and going to the same school!

New Faces
Lots of kids find themselves in this kind of situation. But everybody's story is different. Sometimes parents divorce, sometimes parents die. What's left is usually very confused kids and single parents.

In time, one or both of your parents may find another person he or she loves enough to marry. Most any kid can tell you, watching your mom or dad get remarried is tough. But they can also tell you about a situation that is even tougher: when a new wife or husband also has kids. Suddenly, you find yourself with another parent and - gulp! - a new stepbrother or stepsister.

It's a situation that can make even the happiest kid a little stressed, says Sybil Hart, author of a book called Preventing Sibling Rivalry.

"For some kids, living in a single parent home is actually less stressful than when a parent remarries," she says. "But if you take it easy, are patient, and allow yourself some time to adjust to the new situation, you can make it easier."

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