Tag: stepfamily life

Stepfamily Holiday Traditions: Inside the November 2017 Issue

Stepfamily Holiday TraditionsHoliday Traditions: The Stepfamily Investment That Yielded Unexpected Returns By Jonelle Jones

When I first became a stepmom, the word “tradition gave me the same fuzzy feelings it always had. It wasn’t until we’d traversed our first few important events and holidays before the word began to make me feel uncomfortable. I realized—unwittingly—that traditions, in a stepfamily, weren’t as simple or as magical as they had been my whole life prior.

A bit of back story is in order. I’ve been in the stepmom role for more than six years. Continue reading “Stepfamily Holiday Traditions: Inside the November 2017 Issue”

The Holidays – A Stepmom’s Guide: Inside the November 2017 Issue

Stepmom Holiday GuideHolidays 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”

5 Tips for Shared Holidays: Inside the Oct. 2017 Issue

Nightmare on Stepmom StreetNightmare on Stepmom Street: 5 Tricks for Making Shared Holidays a Treat! By Laura S. Milam, MEd

When I decided to marry a man with a daughter and an ex-wife, I knew that the holidays would be a challenge. Besides the normal pull to divide time between the in-laws, we would have the complication of custody—splitting whole weeks or groups of days between two parents.

I expected Thanksgiving and Christmas to be crazy. But nothing prepared me for the terror of Halloween. Continue reading “5 Tips for Shared Holidays: Inside the Oct. 2017 Issue”

Back-to-School Tips for Stepmoms: Inside the September 2017 Issue

Tips for StepmomsBack-to-School Tips for Stepmoms: Simple Life Hacks for Less Stress By Jessica Leon, PHD, LCSW

Kids and parents approach back-to-school time with mixed emotions. Certainly it’s exciting: new teachers, new supplies, new friends, new schedules and—some years—a brand new place in which to learn. But there’s something else, too: Stress.

Children fear the unknown, while parents are ever-concerned about what’s in store, what our (step-)children’s social or academic experiences will be like Continue reading “Back-to-School Tips for Stepmoms: Inside the September 2017 Issue”

National Stepfamily Day is September 16

stepfamily dayNational Stepfamily Day is just around the corner. Never heard of it? Don’t worry, you’re not alone! Many are unaware that stepfamilies have their own day, but the holiday is steadily gaining recognition among those who see the event as an opportunity to recognize and honor their non-traditional family unit.

In 1997, remarried mom and stepmom Christy Borgeld helped found National Stepfamily Day—which is celebrated annually on September 16th.

At the time, she had two goals in mind:

• Establish a holiday that highlights the need for stepfamily awareness and ongoing support.

• Give today’s families a way and a means for recognizing and celebrating the diversity of their relationship dynamics.

In its first year, National Stepfamily Day was officially acknowledged by 24 U.S. states which rolled out proclamations in its honor. Within a year that number rose to 32 states. By 2000, nearly all 50 U.S. states (48, in total) formally recognized this special day.

In 2010, Borgeld took it a “step” further, asking then-President Barack Obama to revise the language on that year’s Presidential Mother’s and Father’s Day Proclamations, or public honors, to include all parents: biological, adopted, foster and step. So, he did!

Twenty years later “our” day is recognized in all 50 U.S. states, Canada and the U.K. How will you celebrate? Popular options include hosting a family picnic or a neighborhood block party that acknowledges family types of all kinds (step, adoptive, etc.).

Share a special family dinner, host a game night for your stepfamily friends, take your own stepfamily for a hike or go biking together. And don’t worry if your family doesn’t quite feel like “family.” Stepfamilies are unique. Relationships take time. Love isn’t something that can be forced, so strive for kindness and respect and know that that’s enough. Whatever you do, celebrate the opportunity to bond and to have fun!

Family isn’t always blood.
It’s the people in your life who want you in theirs;
the ones who accept you for who you are.
The ones who would do anything to see you smile
and who love you no matter what.
-Unknown

Save

Save

Save

Stepfamily Weddings: Inside the August 2017 Issue

Stepfamily WeddingsStepfamily Weddings: What Comes After You Walk Down the Isle? by Kristen Wilkinson, MA

Ah, wedding season! A time of love, reflection, union and dedication. Weddings take on all different shapes and sizes: destination weddings in the Caribbean, romantic European occasions, glamorous urban affairs and rustic country gatherings.

No matter how a wedding looks on its surface there is bound to be fun, laughter, music, drinks, food and—of course—love! However, for couples who are preparing to enter into a stepfamily, there are special considerations and circumstances worth exploring both before and after saying, “I do!” Continue reading “Stepfamily Weddings: Inside the August 2017 Issue”

Inside the June 2017 Issue

StepMom Magazine June 2017The June 2017 issue of StepMom Magazine is HERE!

In honor of the men we love, this month’s Father’s Day Special Edition is designed specifically to cater to Dad’s needs.

Written “For the Men!” in our lives, it helps you and your partner team up to tackle a variety of topics divorced dads, repartnered dads and stepdads struggle with most often.

Stepmoms worldwide tell us they look forward to this annual edition because it’s a great conversation starter—an issue you can both read (and enjoy) together! Here’s a look at what’s inside: Continue reading “Inside the June 2017 Issue”

Inside the May 2017 Issue

StepMom Magazine May 2017
The May 2017 issue of StepMom Magazine is HERE!

This month we’re talking about:

→ Tips on how to plan for (and survive!) Mother’s Day
→ 4 Ways being a stepmom can make you a better mom
→ How to set yourself free from stepmom guilt
→ Mother-in-law trouble? We can help!
→ Advice for stepparenting a grieving child when mom’s not around
→ The importance of financial planning for stepmoms
→ And more! Continue reading “Inside the May 2017 Issue”

Stepmom’s Guide to Mother’s Day: Inside the May 2017 Issue

Stepmom's Guide to Mother's DaySecond Sunday of May: A Stepmom’s Guide to Mother’s Day by Brenda Snyder, LCSW

My mom likes to spend Mother’s Day with my sister and me. We love spending it with her, too, because she gives us presents. She started this even before we became mothers ourselves. Her explanation: “If not for you guys, I wouldn’t be a mom.”

My first few Mother’s Days as a stepmother were pretty torturous. Continue reading “Stepmom’s Guide to Mother’s Day: Inside the May 2017 Issue”

Inside the April 2017 Issue

Stepmom Magazine April 2017

The April 2017 issue of StepMom Magazine is HERE!

This month we’re talking about:

→ How to connect with your stepkids by speaking their “Love Language”
→ Tips for handling stepfamily events (like birthdays, graduations & weddings)
→ What you can do to overcome resentment and be happier!
→ Creative ways to get the kids excited about your wedding plans
→ How to navigate your stepchild’s loyalty binds
→ Creating new traditions for today’s stepfamilies
→ And more! Continue reading “Inside the April 2017 Issue”