Expert Stepfamily Advice for Any Woman Whose Partner Has Kids
“My Husband Hates My Child!”
10 Steps to Bridging the Gap Between Them
BY LAURA PETHERBRIDGE
Some situations are so serious that they require immediate attention. The following scenario is a perfect example.
“Laura, my husband hates my son,” Stepmom Megan lamented. “And I’m not exaggerating.”
“It’s so obvious that even our friends and family notice. Continue reading “Stepfamily Struggles: Inside the August 2018 Issue”
“Dad’s Wife” The Real Reasons Stepkids Don’t Consider Us Family By Brenda Snyder, LCSW
Parents are parents. Grandparents are grandparents. So decreed my stepson, during the height of his wedding planning (circa 2009). A seemingly innocuous statement, I knew that he was ensuring that I would be recognized only as his “dad’s wife” and that my mother would not be given a corsage. I was 13 years into this stepfamily and, thus, had a pretty thick skin by that time.
Still, what is it about this stepkid relationship that makes it impossible for them to recognize us stepmoms as part of their families? In my experience, there are at least five reasons they fail to bring us into the fold. Continue reading “Are Stepmoms Family? Inside the July 2018 Issue”
Full-Time Stepmoms
Strategies for Stepping Up Without Getting Your Heart Stomped on
BY BRENDA SNYDER, LCSW
The stepmom gig is changing. For many stepfamilies, gone are the days when his (or her) kids showed up as every-other-weekend visitors; when they sucked up your household’s attention, energy and resources for a few days at a time—during which everything seemed to screech to a halt, shift and evolve to suit the disruption. Continue reading “Full-Time Stepmoms: Inside the April 2018 Issue”
Parental Alienation Advice
Amy J. L. Baker, PhD, Speaks With StepMom Magazine
BY KRISTEN WILKINSON, PSYD
Several different phenomena arise when a couple divorces, just as when a stepfamily forms. Many of these experiences are so common that they actually have a scientific or scholarly name assigned to them. Parental Alienation fits within this category.
Alienation occurs when a married couple with children divorces Continue reading “Parental Alienation Advice: Inside the April 2018 Issue”
Happy Holidays? A Stepmom’s Guide to Finding Magic in the Mess By Kate Chapman
There was a time in my life when I believed in the magic of the winter holidays. Tinsel and candlelight. Snow falling softly outside. Loving families sharing time together, as children played happily inside. All was calm. All was bright. Joy and peace ruled the day.
Then I became a stepmom.
My first Christmas as a stepmom looked nothing like what I saw on TV. My days were filled with schedule shenanigans, kid shuttling Continue reading “Holiday Tips for Stepmoms: Inside the December 2017 Issue”
“I’m Jealous of My Stepdaughter!” 5 Ways to Make Peace With Your Feelings By Brenda Snyder, LCSW
Stepmoms have it rough. You would be hard-pressed to come up with even one fictional, famous or literary stepmom character who’s portrayed in a positive light. Yet, when the title is preceded by “evil” or “wicked,” dozens quickly come to mind.
It’s no wonder that, with such a reputation to live down, it’s really hard for stepmoms to open up and admit to the less admirable feelings which commonly infiltrate their experience. Continue reading “Stepmoms and Jealousy: Inside the December 2017 Issue”
The November 2017 issue HERE!
Inside this month’s edition you’ll get:
→ HELP handling day-to-day discipline issues
→ IDEAS for creating new holiday traditions
→ ADVICE for stepmoms who feel alone
→ TIPS to ease the stress of holiday visitation schedules
→ INSPIRATION for days when being a stepmom feels too hard!
→ And more!
Here’s what else you’ll find inside: Continue reading “Inside the November 2017 Issue”
Disciplining Your Stepkids: 5 Tips to Help Stepmoms Handle Day-to-Day Situations By Stacie Nielsen Bortel, MA
A young voice shouts, “You’re not my mom. You can’t tell me what to do!” A door slams. Feet stomp across the floor. This is an all-too-common situation stepmoms everywhere can find themselves in. There’s no way around it. Disciplining stepkids is a complicated prospect—one that can make you feel as if you’re trying to cross an emotional minefield—but it doesn’t have to be!
Experts like Deborah Duley, MSW, offer a wealth of advice. Continue reading “Disciplining Your Stepkids: Inside the November 2017 Issue”
Holidays Reframed: A Stepmom’s Guide to Celebrating the Season By Brenda Snyder, LCSW
Getting through the holidays can be a challenge for everyone—stepmoms and stepfamilies included. Even the most seasoned stepmom may do little more than endure the last two months of the year. In some cases, experience makes us dread the holidays, as it takes so few brushes with these pages on the calendar to understand the reality of thwarted plans, hopes and dreams.
Why are holidays so tough? Many stepmoms eventually adopt the grit-your- teeth-and-endure style of survival, when it comes to getting through the holiday season. Continue reading “The Holidays – A Stepmom’s Guide: Inside the November 2017 Issue”
Take Your Ex and Shove It!: A Cautionary Tale From ‘The One’ Who Got Away By Christine G. Adamo
No. I’m not obsessing over or otherwise pining away for my ex, Mike. While he and I were never married or engaged, I was hip to being a stepmom and wrapped up in loving him—certain he was The One. Similarly to how you may have expressed it to your man, I told him he was the guy I’d waded thru years of relationship rigmarole to get to. Hmpf! Continue reading “Take Your Ex and Shove It! Inside the Oct. 2017 Issue”