https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5705583/#R14
You can find the research sources at the bottom.
"Although most children fare well in stepfamilies, children in stepfamilies are at an elevated risk of experiencing adjustment problems." the articles go into the fact that step families have adjustment issues biological families do not have.
"In cases, stepparents and children foster a relationship over time that is unique and beneficial as stepparents enter into an “intimate outsider” mentoring role for their stepchildren (
Papernow, 2013, p. 160)."
it's pretty normal for there to be a disconnect.
The article also goes into how the transition from elementary school to middle school is an important time period for the relationship dynamic to be enforced as it's the time period when children develop social clic cohesion.
So yeah sorry, blood ties to matter to children in real life. Now I suppose you'll "treat me like an adult." Whatever that means.
