Tag: self care for stepmoms

Mother’s Day Dread: Inside the May 2018 Issue

Is Mother’s Day Dread Setting In?
10 Ways to Celebrate—Stepmom Style
BY JESSICA LEON, PHD, LCSW

Mother’s Day can be weird for us stepmoms. In addition to our stepkids, we may have children of our own. In addition to us, those kids may have yet another mom and/or stepmom. Our partners may not know how to navigate these issues. We, ourselves, may want or need to spend time honoring people such as our mothers, grandmas, aunts, sisters, friends and mothers-in-law. Continue reading “Mother’s Day Dread: Inside the May 2018 Issue”

Full-Time Stepmoms: Inside the April 2018 Issue

Full Time StepmomsFull-Time Stepmoms
Strategies for Stepping Up Without Getting Your Heart Stomped on
BY BRENDA SNYDER, LCSW

The stepmom gig is changing. For many stepfamilies, gone are the days when his (or her) kids showed up as every-other-weekend visitors; when they sucked up your household’s attention, energy and resources for a few days at a time—during which everything seemed to screech to a halt, shift and evolve to suit the disruption. Continue reading “Full-Time Stepmoms: Inside the April 2018 Issue”

Learning to Let Go: Inside the January 2018 Issue

Let GoChild Support, Alimony and Angry Ex-Wives: Learning to Let Go of Things You Can’t Control BY MARY T. KELLY, MA

What is it in your stepfamily life that you’re in a tug of war with? What things do you have no power over or ability to control— yet resist, resent, fight, argue over and set boundaries around to make seem as if something that “just is” isn’t? Where do you engage in exercises of futility?

Here are a few givens many have a hard time accepting:
* HIS KIDS
* HIS EX
* CHILD SUPPORT Continue reading “Learning to Let Go: Inside the January 2018 Issue”

Setting Boundaries: Inside the January 2018 Issue

Setting BoundariesDon’t Be a Doormat! A Stepmom’s Guide to Setting Healthy Boundaries BY CLAUDETTE CHENEVERT

What’s worse than feeling invisible, ignored or unappreciated?

Being treated like a doormat. You do your best, as a stepmom. You give up time and money to be available for your stepkids. You listen patiently to your husband’s complaints about his ex. You grit your teeth, while said ex makes unreasonable demands on both you and your family. Continue reading “Setting Boundaries: Inside the January 2018 Issue”

Inside the December 2017 Issue

StepMom Magazine December 2017

The December 2017 issue HERE!

Check out what we’re talking about this month:
→ Tips to reduce holiday stress (and drama!)
→ Advice for when you feel like an outsider
→ An interview with “Erased Family” filmmaker: Ginger Gentile
→ Ways you can help grieving kids during the holidays
→ Strategies for dealing with those jealous feelings
→ And more!

Here’s what else you’ll find inside: Continue reading “Inside the December 2017 Issue”

Holiday Tips for Stepmoms: Inside the December 2017 Issue

Stepmoms Guide HolidaysHappy Holidays? A Stepmom’s Guide to Finding Magic in the Mess By Kate Chapman

There was a time in my life when I believed in the magic of the winter holidays. Tinsel and candlelight. Snow falling softly outside. Loving families sharing time together, as children played happily inside. All was calm. All was bright. Joy and peace ruled the day.

Then I became a stepmom.

My first Christmas as a stepmom looked nothing like what I saw on TV. My days were filled with schedule shenanigans, kid shuttling Continue reading “Holiday Tips for Stepmoms: Inside the December 2017 Issue”

The Self-Doubting Stepmom: Inside the November 2017 Issue

The Self-Doubting Stepmom: Feel More Confident and Less Confused By Mary T. Kelly, MA

You doubt, chide, question, worry and ruminate over what kind of person you are. It doesn’t help that those closest to you naively aid and abet your critical self-examination. Take, for example, the two voices inside your head. One is reasonably sane: “You’re not a terrible person. You’ve never been a terrible person. You’re a good, conscientious person who cares about others.”

The other one (that little devil who pokes you in the shoulder, when you least expect it) shouts: “You’re selfish! You’re not trying hard enough! You’re imagining all of this drama! Continue reading “The Self-Doubting Stepmom: Inside the November 2017 Issue”

Stupid Things People Say to Stepmoms: Inside the Oct. 2017 Issue

Stupid Things People Say to StepmomsStupid Things People Say to Stepmoms: Dealing With Askholes (and Other Rude Humans) By Mary T. Kelly, MA

Stepmoms aren’t the only ones who get asked questions which are nobody else’s business. Or who get advice that’d make your head spin. Ask any woman who’s been pregnant how many horror stories she’s heard about labor and delivery—from perfect strangers— which scared the crap out of her. The numbers are astronomical. Continue reading “Stupid Things People Say to Stepmoms: Inside the Oct. 2017 Issue”

Back-to-School Tips for Stepmoms: Inside the September 2017 Issue

Tips for StepmomsBack-to-School Tips for Stepmoms: Simple Life Hacks for Less Stress By Jessica Leon, PHD, LCSW

Kids and parents approach back-to-school time with mixed emotions. Certainly it’s exciting: new teachers, new supplies, new friends, new schedules and—some years—a brand new place in which to learn. But there’s something else, too: Stress.

Children fear the unknown, while parents are ever-concerned about what’s in store, what our (step-)children’s social or academic experiences will be like Continue reading “Back-to-School Tips for Stepmoms: Inside the September 2017 Issue”

Inside the August 2017 Issue

August 2017 IssueThe August 2017 issue of StepMom Magazine is HERE!

This month we’re talking about:

→ Mini-Wife Syndrome: What to do if your stepdaughter has it
→ Emotional Abuse: Recognizing the signs and solutions
→ Your Stepchild: Why playing games can help you bond
→ The Ex: How to let go of your resentment toward her
→ Loyalty Binds: What to do if your stepchild complains about you
→ Becoming a Stepmom: What the research tells us
→ And More!
Here’s a look at what’s inside: Continue reading “Inside the August 2017 Issue”