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Tag: blended family advice
Inside the November 2015 Issue of StepMom Magazine
The November 2015 issue of StepMom Magazine is HERE!
Thanksgiving is just around the corner. It’s a time of the year when we collectively gather to focus on our blessings, not our burdens. In her article on page 15, Trisha Ladogna explains why practicing gratitude–even when we don’t want to–can improve our outlook, our attitude and our overall well-being. But let’s be honest. Feeling grateful, when our lives feel particularly difficult, isn’t easy.
So how do you give thanks when stepfamily life is challenging? You practice. We’ll show you how and much more (like how to stop stressing over the ex, how to get your stepkids to communicate more and what to do if your partner feels caught in the middle between you and his kids) inside this month’s issue.
Here’s what you get when you subscribe: Continue reading “Inside the November 2015 Issue of StepMom Magazine”
Stepfamily Dinners – Inside the November 2015 Issue
Stepfamily Dinners: Games, Strategies and Apps for Great Conversation by Claudette Chenevert
Whenever I think of family dinners, the image of Norman Rockwell’s “Freedom From Want” (which appeared on a 1943 cover of “The Saturday Evening Post” and depicts an animated gathering around a perfectly cooked turkey) I wonder, how can my family look like that?
Is it even possible?
In that painting, Rockwell captured a moment in time—not a lifetime filled with attempts to come together and sit for a meal as a family. Continue reading “Stepfamily Dinners – Inside the November 2015 Issue”
The Stepfamily Recipe – Inside the November 2015 Issue
The Stepfamily Recipe: Satisfy Your Stepfamily’s Needs by Recognizing Its Unique Ingredients by Dianne Martin, BSW, RSW
Many couples enter stepfamily life unaware of the monumental challenges they will encounter—challenges that often result from failing to appreciate the numerous structural and functional differences between first families and remarried families.
After all, the two have just about as much in common as apples and oranges.
Stepcouples frequently find themselves floundering in unfamiliar and unfriendly seas as they begin the process of merging two families. Continue reading “The Stepfamily Recipe – Inside the November 2015 Issue”
Inside the October 2015 Issue of StepMom Magazine
The October 2015 issue of StepMom Magazine is HERE!
The statistics on stepfamily failure rates are enough to frighten the pants off of anybody!
In this month’s edition, we face some of the most common fears experienced by stepmoms full on: feeling like an outsider, dealing with the ex and acknowledging that life, as a stepfamily, may not feel anything at all like you’d hoped it would.
In the end, we hope you realize this: Whatever stepmom problem scares you the most, the fact that you’re willing to feel the fear means you can overcome it. Because you? Are strong, brave and courageous. And we’re here to help you every step of the way.
Here’s what’s inside the October issue: Continue reading “Inside the October 2015 Issue of StepMom Magazine”
5 Benefits of Stepfamily Life – Inside the October 2015 Issue
Happily Ever After: 5 Benefits of Stepfamily Life by Christina Roach LMHC, NCC, DCC
You know he will always be a father. His kids come first. As a stepmom, you will need to adjust to their way of doing things.
These are just some of the messages I received when I decided to marry a man with kids. I’m not going to lie. Those words of encouragement—or lack thereof—were less than I had hoped for. After such rave reviews, what mentally stable person would sign up for this gig? Me. And given that you’re reading StepMom Magazine, I’m assuming you, too.
As stepmoms, we know stepfamily life has its share of turbulence and that some of us have it rougher than others. Continue reading “5 Benefits of Stepfamily Life – Inside the October 2015 Issue”
Aviva Drescher – Inside the August 2015 issue
An Interview with Aviva Drescher: The Reality TV Personality Talks with StepMom Magazine’s Brenda Ockun about Fame, Family and Finding Happiness
Aviva Drescher lives a life that’s rich in experiences. She’s a mother, a stepmom, a philanthropist, an author and a former cast member of Bravo’s reality TV series, “The Real Housewives of New York City” (Seasons 5 and 6).
This month, Aviva shares her thoughts about stepfamily life, living in the limelight and overcoming obstacles during an interview with Brenda Ockun, the founder and publisher of StepMom Magazine.
Find out what you have in common with this celebrity stepmom in our telling interview—which begins on Page 14.
…To read the rest of this article, log in to your account and download the August 2015 issue. Don’t have an account? Click here to subscribe.
Having an Ours Baby – Inside the August 2015 Issue
Sitting in the Center: An Ours Child’s Perspective on Stepfamily Life by Trisha Ladogna
Our decision to have an ours baby was not made lightly. I was 36, a childless stepmother for more than five years and had suffered a miscarriage prior to having my first biological child.
Like many first-time mothers, I did an amazing amount of preparation and reading about what was happening with my body and my baby. Like many stepmothers, I did just as much reading and preparation around the impact this little bundle of joy would have on our stepfamily—particularly my stepson.
And, like both stepmothers and mothers, I worried. Continue reading “Having an Ours Baby – Inside the August 2015 Issue”
Inside the August 2015 Issue of StepMom Magazine
The August 2015 issue of StepMom Magazine is HERE!
This month’s issue features an exclusive interview with former “Real Housewives of New York City” cast member: Aviva Drescher!
Aviva is a celebrity and a stepmom (like you!) who understands what it’s like to have your every move broadcast under the glare of a spotlight, while people you don’t even know make assumptions about you.
Find out what you have in common with this celebrity stepmom in our telling interview—which begins on Page 14.
Here’s what’s inside for subscribers: Continue reading “Inside the August 2015 Issue of StepMom Magazine”
Preparing Stepkids for an Ours Baby – In the July 2015 Issue
Baby Blues: Preparing Stepkids for Your “Ours” Baby’s Arrival by Christina Roach, LMHC, NCC, DCC
Preparing for the arrival of a new baby can be an exciting time for any couple. Whether you are motivated by wanting a biological child of your own or a desire to share the parenthood experience with your partner, the decision to add an “ours” baby to the stepfamily dynamic is an important one.
For some stepmoms, conceiving a child can serve as a way to authenticate the couple’s relationship, especially in the eyes of those people who they feel question its validity. On a subconscious level, it also can be a way to show others that this relationship (the stepcouple relationship) is real. It isn’t a mere substitution for their partner’s former union. Continue reading “Preparing Stepkids for an Ours Baby – In the July 2015 Issue”