I'm Sharon, 41 years old and have two step daughters (aged 24 and 21) as well as a 14 year old son and 10 year old daughter.  I became a step Mum at age 23 and when I look back to what I took on at such a young age I sometimes shudder, but I wouldn't change a thing as I have a great relationship with the girls and am proud of that (even though I am jokingly called the wicked step bitch sometimes LOL)

I've been lucky I guess as all four of them are reasonable, fairly well behaved, agreeable and just lovely to be around.  I see my kids as a great achievement and am really proud at the regular compliments we receive about them from their teachers to parents of their friends.  LOL - I figure if I fail at every other area of life at least the kids are doing ok   

I come from Sydney, Australia but have lived in Kuala Lumpur and Cherating (both Malaysia) and now live in Jakarta (Indonesia)  so I get to do a bit of travel and my children are exposed to life experiences they wouldn't normally receive if we stayed in our comfort zone at home.

Having said that - I love nothing more than a visit home to walk along Manly Beach, breath unpolluted air as I gaze at cloudless blues skies, drive without chaos and traffic jams caused by up to 4 million cars entering and leaving the city each day,

While I don't profess to be the perfect parent, I have learned so much about behaviour and what makes children react and behave the way they do - from the hands-on side of parenting and because I am very interested in psychology and psychiatry, relationships and behaviour,  and the workings of the human brain.

I'm a big believer in discussiona nd communication, and often feel that it is more the psychological side of parenting that is more tiring than the physical side.  Keeping communication opena nd honest with your kids requires constant discussion and explanations of behaviour, actions, consequences ... you can feel like a robot sometimes LOL

Having said that  ..... If you are thinking of having children - be prepared for the most wonderful ride of your life!  They are absolutely fascinating and I can't imagine what my life would have been like without them!   Parenting is an amazing experience, from the moment you welcome your first child into the world, til the moment he or she leaves home.