TABLE OF CONTENTS
FEATURES
Love Them Like They’re Your Own:
What Stepmoms Should Know About This Well-Intentioned But Misguided Advice
by WEDNESDAY MARTIN, Ph.D.
When you hear “should” regarding stepmotherhood, resolve to ignore the so-called advice until you get some real information about stepfamily dynamics.
School’s Out! Sanity Saving Tips for Summer
by HEATHER HETCHLER
Whether you’re a custodial stepmom trying to keep the kids busy or a stepmom who is trying to make the weekends count, here are some ideas to help you through the summer.
Disengaging: Is It Time to Cut Yourself Some Slack?
by BRENDA SNYDER, LCSW
Understanding the signs and reasons why it might be time to disengage from your current role and how to accomplish it without too much drama.
Stepmom Chat Rooms: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
by DIANNE MARTIN, B.S.W.
While some chat rooms are excellent resources, others have a dark underbelly that should be avoided at all costs. Here’s how to navigate the stepmom web.
Emotional Intelligence and the Stepmom: Consequential Thinking
by JOAN SARIN, M.S.
Part seven of an ongoing series that examines the fundamental EQ competencies of knowing yourself, choosing your responses and giving of yourself.
DEPARTMENTS
BRENDA’S CORNER: Letter From the Publisher
VANTAGE POINT: There’s No Ex-Wife Here!
How to Navigate a Nontraditional Stepfamily Dynamic
BY STACY SPENCER THOMPSON
THE INSIDE SCOOP: Steppin’ Together
Why Stepmoms Need Each Other
BY LAURA PETHERBRIDGE
LEGAL MATTERS: Mediation
A Cost-Effective Alternative to Court
BY LARA R. BADAIN, ESQ.
STEPMOM MEMOIRS: Dancing With Myself
Rejected, Alienated and Balancing on the Edge of Motherhood
BY THE SECOND WIFE
COUPLES CORNER: Affairs of the Heart
Overcoming Infidelity and the Road to Recovery
BY MARY T. KELLY, M.A.
ON THE MONEY: Estate Planning
Should Your Stepchildren Be Named As Your Beneficiaries?
BY EMILY BOUCHARD, MSSW
FOOD AND FUN
Recipe: Watermelon Coolers
Craft: Shabby Chic Jewelry Holder
BY ASHLEY GRANT
STYLISH STEPMOM
Red, White and Blue: It’s Parties and Picnics!
BY HEIDI DUCATO
OUTLOOK: Real Stepmoms. Real Stories.
Spotlight on: Carla Glass-Jones