Expert Stepfamily Advice for Any Woman Whose Partner Has Kids
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”
Successful Stepcouple Strategies: The Why and What of Putting Your Marriage First by Heather Hetchler, MA
Two people fall in love and decide to marry or partner for life. They make the decision together and enter the union with love, hope and a commitment to stick with it for better or worse.
Unlike a first-time marriage, children often come with the vows made in a remarriage. Those children, regardless of age, are part of the newly created family. But they do not make the choice to form a new family. Nor are they the reason for it. The reason for the remarriage is the love and commitment shared by the two people saying, “I do.” Continue reading “Stepcouple Strategies – Inside the March 2016 Issue”
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”
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”
All Grown Up: When Life Hands You Adult Stepkids
by Brenda Snyder, LCSW
It is a well-known fact that people are living longer and that the aging and elderly population is a growing one. This affects many aspects of society, including the growing number of stepfamilies that form later in life and are, thus, comprised of older adults with adult stepchildren.
Stepfamily literature and research tends to focus on families with young or school-age children, where everyday parenting tasks are the norm. Even informal conversations about impending marriages dismiss the unique challenges of taking on adult stepchildren, with everyone expressing gratitude that the “problems” wrought by younger stepchildren have been avoided. Continue reading “Adult Stepchildren – Inside the September 2015 Issue”
It’s Complicated! A Divorced Dad’s Guide to Understanding Stepfamily Dynamics by Brenda Snyder, LCSW
Women are complicated. We know it. We’re even proud of it. Sometimes we don’t make sense to ourselves—not that we’d ever admit it to you … the men we love.
Your situation, of course, takes the concept of complexity to new heights. Because you have kids (whom you and your current partner didn’t create together), you get to sort through all kinds of extra stuff that takes the term “relationship challenge” to an entirely new level. Continue reading “Stepfamily Dynamics for Divorced Dads – In the June 2015 Issue”
Can You Help a Girl Out? 10 Things Stepmoms Want Their Partners to Know by Heather Hetchler, MA
Communication breakdowns—not unlike the sudden breakdown of a car while you’re speeding along the highway—can be unnerving. In stepfamilies, they can also lead to critical breaks in the otherwise happy connection you share with your partner.
Sure, we all have days when we don’t quite get what our partners are saying.
Maybe, like auto mechanics rattling off specs, the language they use doesn’t make sense to us. Or, like that radio blaring two cars away, intrusions from the ex make it hard to concentrate on the here and now. Continue reading “Top 10 Stepmom Issues – Inside the June 2015 Issue”
Every Other Weekend: How Divorced Dads Can Connect With Their Kids—All Week Long! by Claudette Chenevert
Your husband just said goodbye to his kids for the hundredth time this year. Somehow, it doesn’t seem to get any better for him. He’s an amazing dad, but something seems to pull at his heartstrings whenever he hugs his kids goodbye.
As a stepmom, you feel the struggles and challenges related to raising someone else’s children. It’s not easy—and it’s definitely complicated. You probably also view your partner as being very good at parenting. Yet, although he puts on a strong face, he is saddened every time the kids go back to their mom’s. Continue reading “Every Other Weekend Dads – Inside the June 2015 Issue”