STEPFAMILIES OFTEN FIND MOM IN THE MIDDLE.

• Position: Mothers role, research - Brief Article

Most people have heard the warning to let nothing stand between a mama bear and her cubs. Research at the University of Missouri-Columbia suggests that the same principle applies to remarried mothers and their children.

"The role of mother takes precedence over all other potential roles of genetic mothers in stepfamilies," explains Marilyn Coleman, professor of human development and family studies. "The mother adopts a protector role with her children during courtship and after remarriage, which may have a significant impact on the triangle relationship [among] a mother, her children, and a stepfather."

In their ongoing study of the biological mother's role in a...