Tag: divorced dads

Stepfamily Success: Inside the June 2017 Issue

Stepfamily SuccessSet Your Stepfamily Up for Success: 8 Ways to Make Life Easier on the Woman You Love—and Your Kids! by Brenda Snyder, LCSW

You’re probably starting to gather that being a stepmom is not easy. Your job, as the man in the middle, is no picnic either. All you really want is peace: for everyone to get along and for the tension and conflict to disappear for good. Falling in love with a great woman was a good start, as she can help you make that happen.

In theory, the woman you adore and the children who light up your world ought to get along. Life should sail smoothly along. This is sometimes easier said than done. Continue reading “Stepfamily Success: Inside the June 2017 Issue”

Stepfamily Expectations: Inside the June 2017 Issue

Stepfamily ExpectationsRewrite Your Stepfamily’s Story: Expectations vs. Acceptance by Andy Hetchler

My wife, Heather, is an avid reader. She can read something once, yet she’ll remember every detail and every character for years. I, on the other hand, vaguely remember reading “Great Expectations” while I was still in high school. I loosely recall the author as Charles Dickens and one of its main characters, Pip.

That’s about it. Still, while I can’t recall many details of the book, I think of the title often. For me it encapsulates a theme I took into my remarriage with kids. Heather and I exchanged vows more than 10 years ago, combining ourselves and our six kids into one stepfamily. Continue reading “Stepfamily Expectations: Inside the June 2017 Issue”

Divorced Dads: Inside the June 2017 Issue

Divorced DadsStraight Talking Divorced Dads: 7 Ways to Get More of What You (Both) Want by Mary T. Kelly, MA

Are you a man who hates conflict? You’re not alone. I’ve coached men for 15 years—good and earnest men—95 percent of whom avoid conflict with their partners. If you’re one of them, read on. Honesty is the quickest way to get more of what you (both) want!

Maybe you dread the thought of a two hour talk-a-thon, should you two disagree. If there’s even a hint of dissent in the air, it may feel safer to say, “Fine.” Happy wife, happy life. Right? Could be. But your desires and opinions matter just as much as hers. Continue reading “Divorced Dads: Inside the June 2017 Issue”

Create a United Front: Inside the January 2017 Issue

Create a United FrontI’ve Got Your Back! Stepcouples Must Present A United Front—Here’s Why by Trevor Mullineaux, LMFT

Who comes first in your heart— your kids or your partner? In many stepfamilies, finding the right balance between, “My kids come first,” and, “My partner is my priority,” can be a daily struggle. The conflict it creates can chip away at a stepcouple’s emotional connection. In fact, this tension is one of the reasons many stepfamilies implode. Continue reading “Create a United Front: Inside the January 2017 Issue”

Parenting Advice: Inside the December 2016 Issue

Parenting AdviceDad’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Days: Ways to Help Your Partner Parent Better by Mary T. Kelly, MA

“When I got out of bed this morning, I tripped on the skateboard and, by mistake, I dropped my sweater in the sink—while the water was running …. I think I’ll move to Australia.”

—excerpt from “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,” by Judith Viorst

The opening excerpt is from a wildly popular children’s book that kids can relate to because, in truth, kids have bad days of their own. And, though your partner may not admit this, he has definitely experienced a slew of terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days, too—as a dad—and he doesn’t feel very good about it. Continue reading “Parenting Advice: Inside the December 2016 Issue”

Inside the August 2016 Issue of StepMom Magazine

Stepmom August 2016 Issue
The August 2016 Issue

The August 2016 issue of StepMom Magazine is HERE!

This month you’ll receive:

→ Advice for stepmoms who don’t like being disliked
→ Help for those times when you feel invisible and left out
→ Tips to ease the stress of being a 24/7 custodial stepmom
→ A guide to forgiving others (even if it’s not deserved!)
→ Information on why stepmom stereotypes still exist
→ And much more!

Here’s what else you’ll find inside:

Continue reading “Inside the August 2016 Issue of StepMom Magazine”

Inside the June 2016 Issue of StepMom Magazine

Stepmom Magazine June 2016
The June 2016 Issue

The June 2016 issue of StepMom Magazine is HERE!

In honor of Father’s Day, this month’s Special Edition of StepMom Magazine is designed specifically “For the Men!” we love so much.

It’s packed with articles for you and your partner and tackles the topics that divorced, re-partnered and stepdads struggle with most. Continue reading “Inside the June 2016 Issue of StepMom Magazine”

Tips for Remarried Men: Inside the June 2016 Issue

Remarried Men
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”

Peacemaking Divorced Dads: Inside the June 2016 Issue

Divorced Dads
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”

Support for Stepdads: Inside the June 2016 Issue

Suppor for Stepdads
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”