That is true. If Brock died Barbara Jean would not have a legal right to visits with the kids. That doesn't mean the kids couldn't choose to visit her. It just wouldn't be legally enforced.

* Awe.. It is much better to have a stepmother that loves the children and actually 'Wants' to be involved in their lives. In this sitcom, the writers did a great job expressing what it looks like for an extended family to all come together for the benefit of a healthy family life for the kids and they wrote Barbara Jean in perfectly.. She fights for those kids happiness and to be involved in their lives, not for shelfish reasons, but because she is Married to their Father and knows how important it is for the kids to have a stable life surrounded by adults that love and support them.. She Is their stepmom and takes that role seriously, the children come first with her.. Great show, great writers.. In real life Barbara Jean (Melissa Peterman) is also a very funny & successful Comedian

@@colleenscottcarmello5103 Being an involved stepmother is good but Barbara Jean often tries to usurp Reba's role. I do think that if this was real life and Brock died that the kids would choose to have a relationship with her because she is good to them. I was a stepmom but I didn't try to make decision for my husbands kids unless it concerned me directly. I made rules for my own household but I had no say in what happened at their mom's house or who they dated or what they could wear to school. That was their parent's decision. Yes, Melissa Peterman is very funny and very talented. I loved her on the show and on Person Place or Thing.

@@colleenscottcarmello5103 Being involved is one thing. Trying to take over the role of the mother or to have equal say with her in parental decisions is another thing entirely.

Yes, but don't forget, when Brock supported Kyra moving in with him, Reba said _she_ did because she was cool and Brock wasn't. Spoke the opposite to make herself look good and Brock bad. Reba was being unfair and hypocritical one day, and now Brock is. Our references of unfairness balance each other out. It's like, if someone insulted you and never apologized, and then did you a huge favor, it is absolutely ok to not thank them for it. That's why I didn't thank my disrespectful boss when she helped me in a subsequent minor situation. Again, balance each other out.

I agree with Edelweiss's comment above.

@@Jean-c1x stepparents still count

@@johnrainsman6650 Every family situation is different. Their feelings do count but they should not expect to be equal with the parent of the same sex as long as that parent is still in the child's life. I respected my children's stepparents position with her children and she gave me the same with my children. I still agree with Edelweiss.

@@Jean-c1x who’s her? The stepmom? You said stepparents

@@johnrainsman6650 I miswrote. I was married twice as was their father / my first husband, so my kids had a stepmother and a stepfather. I was stepmom to my second husbands kids and he was stepfather to mine. We all respected each other's roles.

I love you