Take Heart: A Story for Modern Stepfamilies

In modern Australia, one third of Australian families are a variation on the nuclear model.

Families move from one state to make a new family in another. They blend into new homes, take holidays with all children and all parents. They invent new routines and rituals to establish their own household rhythm. And don’t forget the double sets of school uniforms and pyjamas that exist under different parents’ roofs. Welcome to the new normal of family life for many Australians.

It is a path Chloe Shorten has walked. Chloe was surprised at the lack of materials for these families and the unexpected tripwires for those not fitting the traditional cookie-cutter model. She was also heartened by the sensible advice she unearthed, the resilience of her children and the joy of watching her husband become a new father three times over.

Chloe Shorten tells of her own quest to create a new normal. Honest, sincere and warm hearted, this is the story of the modern household and broadens the idea of who qualifies as ‘a family’ in the 21st century.