There are some chores that can matriculate from parents to kids as the kids get older. Cleaning your room, doing dishes, and taking out the trash help build life skills. You don't want your kid to show up to the first day of University not knowing what a washer and dryer look like. However, blended families present a unique challenge regarding parenting. Can your dad's wife parent you in the same way that a stepmom who's fully integrated into the family can? Can a stepparent demand things of their stepchildren that only serve to benefit their biological kids? I guess they technically can, but that doesn't mean they should. One particularly demanding stepmother tried to force her stepson to make lunches for her three kids and let them go hungry if he didn't. Besides the fact that he already had to take the time to make his own lunch, she threatened to (and followed through with) take away his dinner if he didn't comply.