Expert Stepfamily Advice for Any Woman Whose Partner Has Kids
The May 2018 issue is HERE!
This month we’re talking about:
→ Mother’s Day
→ Stepmother’s Day (Yes, it exists!)
→ Feeling like an outsider
→ Dealing with infertility
→ Special needs stepkids
→ Making your relationship a priority
→ Full-time stepmoms
→ Advice for childless & childfree stepmoms
→ And much more!
Here’s the full list of what’s inside this month: Continue reading “Inside the May 2018 Issue”
Your Special Needs Stepchild
Advice From Stepmoms in the Trenches
BY CLAUDETTE CHENEVERT
I don’t think I need to tell you that being a stepmom can be challenging, complicated, difficult, rewarding and fun. Maybe not all at the same time but, at some point point, those qualifiers usually come into play when you’re a stepmom. If you’re a stepmom to a special needs stepchild, that may require extra tools which some of us (myself included) may not have considered—until now. Continue reading “Your Special Needs Stepchild: Inside the May 2018 Issue”
Full-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”
Parental Alienation Advice
Amy J. L. Baker, PhD, Speaks With StepMom Magazine
BY KRISTEN WILKINSON, PSYD
Several different phenomena arise when a couple divorces, just as when a stepfamily forms. Many of these experiences are so common that they actually have a scientific or scholarly name assigned to them. Parental Alienation fits within this category.
Alienation occurs when a married couple with children divorces Continue reading “Parental Alienation Advice: Inside the April 2018 Issue”
Are Your Stepkids Strangers to You?
The Impact of Estrangement on Stepfamilies and First Families
BY CLAUDETTE CHENEVERT
I recently spoke with Jennifer, who’s a stepmom with two grown stepdaughters.
“I don’t understand,” Jennifer said. “We call them. We leave messages. They never return our calls. Plus, I have a feeling they’re withholding our grandkids from us. We don’t seem to be able to visit with them. I know the girls were upset that their parents divorced but that was years ago.” Continue reading “Estranged Stepkids: Inside the March 2018 Issue”
Fighting Parental Alienation: Filmmaker Ginger Gentile Aims to Educate and Reunite #Erased Family Members By Kristen Wilkinson, PsyD
We all have our guilty, reality TV pleasures. I mean, how exciting was it that Meghan King Edmonds of Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Orange County” was featured in StepMom Magazine in March 2016? Those of us who then watched the show over the summer saw one of its other stars open up about the impact of divorce, as Tamra Judge spoke at a gala in support of the documentary film “Erasing Family.”
Judge talked about her experiences—as a child of divorce, Continue reading “Erasing Family: Inside the December 2017 Issue”
“I’m Jealous of My Stepdaughter!” 5 Ways to Make Peace With Your Feelings By Brenda Snyder, LCSW
Stepmoms have it rough. You would be hard-pressed to come up with even one fictional, famous or literary stepmom character who’s portrayed in a positive light. Yet, when the title is preceded by “evil” or “wicked,” dozens quickly come to mind.
It’s no wonder that, with such a reputation to live down, it’s really hard for stepmoms to open up and admit to the less admirable feelings which commonly infiltrate their experience. Continue reading “Stepmoms and Jealousy: Inside the December 2017 Issue”
Disciplining Your Stepkids: 5 Tips to Help Stepmoms Handle Day-to-Day Situations By Stacie Nielsen Bortel, MA
A young voice shouts, “You’re not my mom. You can’t tell me what to do!” A door slams. Feet stomp across the floor. This is an all-too-common situation stepmoms everywhere can find themselves in. There’s no way around it. Disciplining stepkids is a complicated prospect—one that can make you feel as if you’re trying to cross an emotional minefield—but it doesn’t have to be!
Experts like Deborah Duley, MSW, offer a wealth of advice. Continue reading “Disciplining Your Stepkids: Inside the November 2017 Issue”
The September 2017 issue is HERE!
Inside this month’s edition:
→ What Stepmoms Need to Know About Childhood Attachment Theories
→ Strategies for Building Trust and Strengthening Your Marriage
→ 5 Truths About Becoming a “Successful” Stepmom
→ 6 Tips to Help You Bond Over Family Dinners
→ Back-to-School Life Hacks for Stepmoms
→ And more!
Here’s what else you’ll find inside: Continue reading “Inside the September 2017 Issue”
Psychology, Stepmoms and Stepchild Relations: Science Says? It’s Not Your Fault! By Brenda Snyder, LCSW
Many stepmothers share a common frustration—a thwarted desire to be close to their stepchildren. In her current experience, a stepmom might feel angry or be resentful of a horribly behaved stepchild who is perhaps disrespectful and undisciplined.
In discovering the narrative of her stepfamily, however, it becomes fairly evident that back in the beginning stages the stepmom envisioned their relationship much differently. Continue reading “Stepmoms and Stepchild Relations: Inside the September 2017 Issue”