STEP PARENTING
Everything You Need to Know to Make It Work
by Jeanette Lofas

(This book above has been worth more than gold to me. It really helped me a lot)

ACTIVE PARENTING FOR STEPFAMILIES by Michael H. Popkin, PhD and Elizibeth Einstein, MA, LMFT

(another great book with loads of information about communicating effectively).

And, on another note: When we first met and for awhile thereafter, my wife was ridiculously coddling and babying her kids. She bought them anything they wanted, and felt sorry for them. She constantly worried about their emotional life, and seemed to be their best friend instead of a parent. It had damaging effects on the 11 year old boy from when he was about 5 years old. It angered me and frustrating me to insanity - I had such a conflict with her and her little boy. Her best friend attitude and babying him constantly turned him into a little wimp...

For you step parents who see this sort of behaviour with spouses trying to overcompensate for something when dealing with their biological children, recommend this book for them:

THE 7 WORST THINGS PARENDS DO by John C. Friel, PhD and Linda D. Friel, M.A.

My wife loves to read books, so she was more than willing to check out this book. It really helped her to stop giving into every need of her kids, and to be a better parent. It helped our relationship a lot. She practiced and changed, and soon she seemed to make our relationship feel a lot more important compared to her relationship with her children.

Good Luck