Many factors play into the dynamics of the stepparent/stepchild relationship. The child's age and receptiveness to the stepparent will have a lot of impact. Similarly, the stepparent's willingness to fill a parental role, their experience with children, and their relationships with the child's biological parents can all determine how things play out. This relationship is anything but simple, making it fertile ground for plot and character development.

Below are a wide range of dynamics that may accompany this relationship. Use the ideas that suit your story and work best for your characters to bring about and/or resolve the necessary conflict.

A stepparent and stepchild who deeply fulfill relationship needs for each other
A stepparent who pursues harmony with the stepchild's biological parent for the benefit of the child
A stepchild who is treated the same as the stepparent's biological child
A stepparent filling a void for a child who has no relationship with their biological parent
A stepparent who fully embraces their role, regardless of the child's feelings toward them
A stepparent being introduced smoothly into the life of a young adult child, without much upheaval
A stepparent who tries to be the stepchild's friend more than their parent
A reluctant stepparent who is playing the role of father or mother out of obligation
A stepparent whose efforts are largely controlled and limited by their spouse or the child's other biological parent
A child rejecting any notion of a relationship with the stepparent
An apathetic stepparent who is more interested in gaining a spouse than being a mom or dad
One party struggling to accept or love the other
A stepchild actively seeking to sabotage their stepparent's success or marriage
An estranged relationship between the two
An abusive relationship

The stepchild becoming injured or ill on the stepparent's watch
The stepparent separating from or divorcing the child's biological parent
A situation in which one of the two parties is lying, forcing the biological parent to choose who to believe
The stepparent and biological parent having a child of their own
The death of the stepchild's biological parent
The stepparent needing to relocate for work, resulting in a major move for the family
A teenaged child rebelling against the stepparent and rejecting their authority
One of the child's parents dealing with addiction or a mental health condition
The stepchild being treated differently than the stepparent's biological children
The stepchild being diagnosed with a physical, learning, or mental health challenge that the stepparent doesn't understand or accept
One of the stepparent's biological children bullying or abusing the stepchild
The stepchild discovering a harmful secret about their stepparent
The stepparent abusing the child's biological parent
The stepparent taking a work-from-home job, resulting in them being around all the time
The stepchild preferring the stepparent over their biological parent