Stepmoms Home Alone: Avoid Feeling Like an Outsider This Holiday Season by Mary T. Kelly, MA
Do you remember the movie “Home Alone,” in which the harried parents of several children leave one of them behind while rushing out to catch a plane for a Christmas holiday trip?
The 8-year-old kid who’s left behind, Kevin (memorably portrayed by Macaulay Culkin), is stunned to find out he’s home alone. But he ends up being quite resourceful, avoiding unwanted intruders who were initially after the family goods and then shifted their focus to doing him harm just to get even with him.
You may be able to relate to that forgotten kid. You anticipate the holidays with dread, viewing your stepchildren as intruders who are invading your home and holiday traditions. You may view your partner the same way the boy viewed his parents, as ones he trusted but who ended up abandoning him when he needed them most.
If you have ever felt like an outsider when your stepkids are around, there’s something about the holidays that can accentuate that feeling. You might feel stressed out for weeks, or possibly months, before the so-called festivities even begin.
During this time of the year, the media blasts us with images of happy families relaxing and enjoying holiday meals together. There’s no tension in the faces of those made-up family scenarios and seeing them can easily provoke a sense of guilt if you don’t feel the same way. …To read the rest of this article, log in and download the December 2015 issue. Don’t have an account? Click here to subscribe.