Tag: stepchildren issues

Stepfamily Secrets: Inside the October 2016 Issue

Stepfamily SecretsIs Your Stepfamily Lying to You? The Secrets Stepkids, Partners and Exes Keep by Claudette Chenevert

Many stepmoms get frustrated when their stepkids lie about one thing or another. The lies can be major, in an attempt to gloss over breaking curfew, doing drugs, drinking alcohol or stealing. They also can be a series of small lies related to homework, chores or anything else imaginable.

One of the reasons stepmoms seek my help is to deal with such situations. They’re simply not sure of how to handle lying—whether it’s their stepkids fibbing, their partners routinely omitting key information or the exes in their lives embellishing on reality until it’s unrecognizable. Continue reading “Stepfamily Secrets: Inside the October 2016 Issue”

Inside the September 2016 Issue

September 2016 Issue StepMom MagazineThe September 2016 issue of StepMom Magazine is HERE!

→ How to Survive Your Stepkids’ Emotional Ups and Downs
→ Advice from Stepmoms Who Married Widowers
→ Back to School Tips for You and Your Partner
→ Understanding the Stages of Stepfamily Development
→ False Accusations: One Stepmom’s True Story
→ The History of National Stepfamily Day (Yes, it’s real!)
→ Research Findings About Becoming a Stepparent
→ And much more!

Here’s what else you’ll find inside: Continue reading “Inside the September 2016 Issue”

Stepfamily Challenges: In the September 2016 Issue

Stepfamily ChallengesRiding the Stepfamily Roller Coaster: How to Survive Your Stepkids’ Emotional Ups and Downs by Brenda Snyder, LCSW

No relationship runs more hot and cold than the one you might have with a stepkid. Even less predictable than a high school romance, you can tuck in and kiss your stepdarling good night only to receive the cold shoulder the very next morning. Continue reading “Stepfamily Challenges: In the September 2016 Issue”

False Accusations: In the September 2016 Issue

False AccusationsFalse Accusations: A Stepcouple Relationship Faces the Ultimate Test by Mary T. Kelly, MA

I want to tell you the story of a couple I recently worked with. They’ve given me permission to share what they went through in the hopes that it may help you and others. It’s a story to which unfortunately many of you may relate. Continue reading “False Accusations: In the September 2016 Issue”

Custodial Stepmoms: Inside the August 2016 Issue

Custodial Stepmoms
Inside the August 2016 Issue

Custodial Stepmoms: Ease the Stress of 24/7 Stepparenting by Mary T. Kelly, MA

Overheard at my local coffee shop: “I’m telling you, Amanda, this parenting stuff is for the birds. My kids are so ungrateful. I do and do for them and they just seem to expect it. I need a very long vacation.”

Amanda’s retort: “Tell me about it!” Continue reading “Custodial Stepmoms: Inside the August 2016 Issue”

Stepmom Help: Inside the August 2016 Issue

Stepmom Help
Inside the August 2016 Issue

Sticks and Stones: A Stepmother’s Guide to Being Disliked by Wednesday Martin, PhD

No matter what I did, they didn’t like me. His kids didn’t like me. And his ex hated me. I turned myself inside out trying to please the kids. They still hated every cookie I baked, every meal I cooked. Some days it felt like they hated me for breathing. Meanwhile, I bent over backwards to show his ex I was a good and kind person she could trust with her children. Continue reading “Stepmom Help: Inside the August 2016 Issue”

Stepfamily Events: Inside the July 2016 Issue

Stepfamily Events
The July 2016 Issue

Step Aside, Stepmom: Sharing the Spotlight With Their Mom by Claudette Chenevert

During the cycle of life, we encounter many major milestones that transform our families. They force us to interact with people we may not be excited to stand alongside, including mom. Stepmoms sometimes dread the most significant milestone moments, in which the occasion is inevitably shared with their stepkids’ biological moms: graduations, weddings and babies. Continue reading “Stepfamily Events: Inside the July 2016 Issue”

Stepmom Conflict by Proxy: Inside the July 2016 Issue

Stepmom Conflict by Proxy
The July 2016 Issue

Stepmom Conflict by Proxy: What Every Woman With Stepkids Needs to Know by Wednesday Martin, PhD

If you have stepchildren of any age in your life, you—I would wager—have arguing and even fighting (by which I mean arguments that go ballistic—with criticism, contempt and stonewalling ruling the interaction) in your life. Perhaps, at certain points, particularly the first five to seven years of your remarriage or repartnership with children, lots of arguments and fights: Continue reading “Stepmom Conflict by Proxy: Inside the July 2016 Issue”

Summer Visitation: Inside the July 2016 Issue

Summer Visitation
The July 2016 Issue

Stepmoms, Stepkids and Summertime: How to Keep Your Cool When Things Heat Up by Mary T. Kelly, MA

Mark Twain once famously said, “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” If you’ve ever been to the Bay Area, you’ll know exactly what he meant. As a stepmom, you may also find a correlation.

It’s the heat of summer now, yet you may be nursing a cold, cold heart. Continue reading “Summer Visitation: Inside the July 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”