I love to see Mr. Ivy and Flip together. I married Mr. Ivy when Flip was five years old, and I worried that Flip would pull that "you’re not my father, you can’t tell me what to do" routine on Mr. Ivy the minute he became a teenager. So far, all is well with that.

Mr. Ivy and Flip have a kind of respectful friendship going on. They play video games together and watch football together. Flip spends more time hanging out with Mr. Ivy than my brother ever did with my father. My brother and my father have very dissimilar interests, however, so I think that has a lot to do with it.

Regardless, I think it’s great that Mr. Ivy and Flip have such a good relationship. Flip has a good relationship with his biological dad as well, and I think having 2 strong male role models can only be good for him as he grows into his teen years.

Do your kids have a stepparent? What is their relationship like?