Expert Stepfamily Advice for Any Woman Whose Partner Has Kids
Stepmoms and Forgiveness: How and Why to Give It—Even If It’s Not Earned! by Brenda Snyder, LCSW
A stepmother’s relationships are complicated. And it can be difficult to maintain your identity—the very personality traits that make you who you are (a superwoman committed to the love of your life and his kids)—as you navigate the rocky terrain of joining a family that formed well before you came on the scene. Continue reading “Stepmoms and Forgiveness: In the Aug. 2016 Issue”
Not Cinderella’s Stepmom: Why Stepmom Stereotypes Persist and Ditching the Evil Myth by Claudette Chenevert
Think of the word “stepmom” and it’s hard not to envision Cinderella’s evil stepmother—a woman willing to do just about anything to get rid of her step- daughter. So many examples of wicked stepmoms surround us in a social context that it’s difficult for most people (our stepkids, the ex, coworkers) to avoid falling back on them as they typecast us. Continue reading “Stepmom Stereotypes: Inside the August 2016 Issue”
Step Aside, Stepmom: Sharing the Spotlight With Their Mom by Claudette Chenevert
During the cycle of life, we encounter many major milestones that transform our families. They force us to interact with people we may not be excited to stand alongside, including mom. Stepmoms sometimes dread the most significant milestone moments, in which the occasion is inevitably shared with their stepkids’ biological moms: graduations, weddings and babies. Continue reading “Stepfamily Events: Inside the July 2016 Issue”
Grieving Stepmoms: Recognizing and Reconciling What You’ve Given Up by Brenda Snyder, LCSW
Lots of stepmoms show up in my counseling office because their family doctor prescribed an antidepressant and recommended therapy. Admittedly showing signs of depression (i.e., irritability, sadness, changes in appetite, difficulty sleeping, fatigue), these women readily agree with their doctors that something is not right. What both doctor and stepmom fail to consider, however, is that the symptoms of depression are stunningly similar to signs of bereavement. Continue reading “Stepmom Grief: Inside the July 2016 Issue”
Stepmom Conflict by Proxy: What Every Woman With Stepkids Needs to Know by Wednesday Martin, PhD
If you have stepchildren of any age in your life, you—I would wager—have arguing and even fighting (by which I mean arguments that go ballistic—with criticism, contempt and stonewalling ruling the interaction) in your life. Perhaps, at certain points, particularly the first five to seven years of your remarriage or repartnership with children, lots of arguments and fights: Continue reading “Stepmom Conflict by Proxy: Inside the July 2016 Issue”
Stepmoms, Stepkids and Summertime: How to Keep Your Cool When Things Heat Up by Mary T. Kelly, MA
Mark Twain once famously said, “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” If you’ve ever been to the Bay Area, you’ll know exactly what he meant. As a stepmom, you may also find a correlation.
It’s the heat of summer now, yet you may be nursing a cold, cold heart. Continue reading “Summer Visitation: Inside the July 2016 Issue”
Stepmoms Who Disengage: How to Step Back Without Stepping on Toes by Brenda Snyder, LCSW
So, here you find yourself: You—a bright and articulate woman—have suddenly realized that whatever it is you’ve been doing to make this stepmom gig work hasn’t worked at all. In response, you examined your loving heart and reassessed your intentions to be sure they were pure.
Still, you’re met with hostility or, somehow even worse, apathy. Continue reading “The Stepmom Step Back: Inside the June 2016 Issue”
FOR THE MEN!
5 Tips for Remarried Men: Stepping Up When Your Marriage Is Falling Down by Andy Hetchler
Remarriage with kids is complicated.
My wife and I were madly in love when we said, “I do,” and brought our six kids together. We still love each other, but somewhere early in the journey mad about you turned into mad at you. Continue reading “Tips for Remarried Men: Inside the June 2016 Issue”
FOR THE MEN!
Peacemaking Divorced Dads: How Avoiding Conflict Can Start a War by Mary T. Kelly, MA
There are common phrases you, as a man, may use when you want to avoid conflict. Doing so, you often wind up kidding yourself and your partner by thinking that it isn’t because you’re avoiding conflict. It’s because you’re a peace-loving guy!
A peacemaker. Yet—after working with thousands of men who are repartnered fathers—my experience shows that, Continue reading “Peacemaking Divorced Dads: Inside the June 2016 Issue”
FOR THE MEN!
Dearest Wife: It’s Your Stepdad Husband—Can We Talk?
by Christina Roach, LMHC, NCC, DCC
Dearest Wife,
I’m a little lost here, as to where I fit in. As the man of the house, I feel an obligation to contribute. But, regardless of what I do, I’m in the wrong.
I can’t just stand by and let your kids walk all over you. Continue reading “Support for Stepdads: Inside the June 2016 Issue”