Tag: stepmother stigma

Stepmoms in the White House

Stepmoms in the White House
What it Means for Women Like Us
By Wednesday Martin, PhD

The U.S.’s current First Lady, the wife of its President-elect and its incoming Vice President are all women who’ve partnered with men who brought along kids from previous relationships. And it’s about time!

Stepfamilies now outnumber what so-called experts used to and sometimes still call “intact” families, as if stepfamilies (statistically the new normal) are inherently broken or ruptured in comparison. We’re not. We’re just a bit or, in some cases, a lot more complicated. So what? Continue reading “Stepmoms in the White House”

Inside the July 2019 Issue

See what else is inside the July 2019 issue …  Continue reading “Inside the July 2019 Issue”

Inside the September 2018 Issue

StepMom September 2018The September 2018 issue is HERE!
* Back-to-School
* Full-time Stepmoms
* Detaching & Disengaging
* Parent-Teacher Conferences
* A Historical Look at Stepfamily Life
* Emotional Intelligence for Stepmoms
* What Veteran Stepmoms Wish They’d Known
* When the Kids Disrespect Dad
→ And much more!

Check out the full list of what’s inside this month: Continue reading “Inside the September 2018 Issue”

Stepmothers Worldwide: Inside the September 2018 Issue

Stepmothers WorldwideStepmothers Worldwide & Forever
The Evolution of Stepfamily Life
BY WEDNESDAY MARTIN, PHD

Labor Day brings with it family BBQs, back-to-school lamentations (by the kids) and back-to-school celebratory fist pumping (by parents and stepparents). Transitions and family, however we define it, are likely on our minds. This fall we also experience the energy generated by upcoming political primaries. If history repeats itself, Continue reading “Stepmothers Worldwide: Inside the September 2018 Issue”

Childfree by Choice: Inside the July 2018 Issue

Childfree by ChoiceChildfree by Choice: Research Proves You Should Ignore Your Critics By Christine G. Adamo

I was recently privy to a convo between two women with similar yet different childfree experiences. Both were childless-by-choice, never wanting kids of their own. While Claire had longed to foster or adopt, both of her ex-husbands balked at that option. They were bent on biological—or nothing at all—hence their ex-ness.

“It seems egotistical to me,” Claire said. “What’s so special about having kids of your own? I don’t get it and I can have kids. I come from a long line of fertile women.” Continue reading “Childfree by Choice: Inside the July 2018 Issue”

Interview with Wednesday Martin, PhD: Inside the March 2018 Issue

Wednesday Martin StepmonsterStruggling With the “Stepmonster” in You?
Insight and Advice from Wednesday Martin, PhD
BY STEPMOM STAFF

Social Researcher, Author and Cultural Critic “at large, in high heels,” Wednesday Martin, PhD, tugged at the roots of the stepfamily tree with the 2009 release of her book “Stepmonster: A New Look at Why Real Stepmothers Think, Feel and Act the Way We Do.” A Books for a Better Life Award finalist, the title continues to be a must-read. Continue reading “Interview with Wednesday Martin, PhD: Inside the March 2018 Issue”

The Self-Doubting Stepmom: Inside the November 2017 Issue

The Self-Doubting Stepmom: Feel More Confident and Less Confused By Mary T. Kelly, MA

You doubt, chide, question, worry and ruminate over what kind of person you are. It doesn’t help that those closest to you naively aid and abet your critical self-examination. Take, for example, the two voices inside your head. One is reasonably sane: “You’re not a terrible person. You’ve never been a terrible person. You’re a good, conscientious person who cares about others.”

The other one (that little devil who pokes you in the shoulder, when you least expect it) shouts: “You’re selfish! You’re not trying hard enough! You’re imagining all of this drama! Continue reading “The Self-Doubting Stepmom: Inside the November 2017 Issue”

Lies We Tell Stepmoms: Inside the July 2017 Issue

Lies we tell stepmoms4 Big Lies We Tell Stepmoms: How Ignoring Bad Advice Can Save Your Marriage—and Your Sanity! by Wednesday Martin, PhD

Excerpted with permission from “Stepmonster: A New Look at Why Real Stepmothers Think, Feel, and Act the Way We Do.”

Books for stepmothers tend to perpetuate certain myths. The myth of the blended family and the myth of the maternal stepmother are the most glaring examples. These books’ relentlessly upbeat tone can make stepmothers feel as though our own occasional negativity and impatience regarding his kids are freakish. Other books on stepmothering are so lighthearted, so insistent that we see the humor in our situation and in our responses to it, that reading them feels suspiciously like being told that our concerns don’t matter and that we just need to lighten up. Continue reading “Lies We Tell Stepmoms: Inside the July 2017 Issue”

Stepmom Guilt: Inside the May 2017 Issue

Stepmom GuiltNot Guilty as Charged: Set Yourself Free of Stepmom Guilt in 7 Steps! by Mary T. Kelly, MA

It plagues you. You think you’re the only one. You’ve tried to talk to friends about it, but they just looked at you as if you were an alien. You approached your partner about it and were immediately rebuffed. You live with this feeling and chide yourself for not being a better person, partner and stepmom. You wonder if you’re a good person at all because no decent person would have the thoughts and feelings you do. Continue reading “Stepmom Guilt: Inside the May 2017 Issue”

The Perfect Stepmother: Inside the February 2017 Issue

Perfect StepmotherThe Perfect Stepmother: Skip the Fairytale and Keep It Real by Mary T. Kelly, MA

Myths about perfection aren’t exclusive to stepfamilies, but still.

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard a woman lament the fact that she’s trying to achieve perfection—in her role as a stepmom—and fears she’s failing miserably? I’d be swimming in a sea of Versace, taking laps around my private yacht in Louboutin footwear and throwing back $49,000-a-bottle Dom Pérignon Rose Gold as if it were water. Continue reading “The Perfect Stepmother: Inside the February 2017 Issue”