Expert Stepfamily Advice for Any Woman Whose Partner Has Kids
Stepmoms and Rear-View Mirrors: 4 Rules for Leaving Anger and Negativity Behind You by Brenda Snyder, LCSW
Being a stepmother is the hardest job I’ve ever had. I have been challenged emotionally, intellectually and physically. I have been forced to define and redefine myself as a woman, a family member and a spouse. I have weathered rejection, apathy, hostility and betrayal. Continue reading “Stepmoms and Rear-View Mirrors: Inside the January 2017 Issue”
Bring on the Holidays, Stepmom! Ways to Thrive as Your Family Merges Its Traditions by Brenda Snyder, LCSW
Whether you welcome the cooling temperatures or dread them, the change of seasons signals the time period most fraught with emotion by many stepmoms—the holidays.
Stepmoms new to their families might be filled with expectation and excitement while stepmoms with painful holiday memories might meet the festivities with dread and despair. Wherever you find yourself on the spectrum, insight and planning ahead can give you the best chance of a time filled with celebration and good will. Continue reading “Stepfamily Traditions: Inside the December 2016 Issue”
Dad’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”
StepMom Magazine’s Round Up of the Year’s Best Expert Tips and Stepmom Advice
Oh, dear, what a year! From the fate of the U.S. presidency to the Chicago Cubs’ first World Series win in 108 years, every aspect of life seemed to hang in the balance. Yet, none of it kept our contributors from sharing sound advice that helped us stay the course.
This month we round up 2016’s best expert tips for stepmoms and their stepfamilies, followed by excerpts from this year’s prior issues of StepMom Magazine. In sifting through them, we realized how ready we are to leave all the other drama behind. How ‘bout you?
Yeah, it’s time. Read on, reboot and get ready for 2017! …To read the rest of this article, log in to your account and download the December 2016 issue. Don’t have an account? Click here to subscribe.
Stepfamily Holiday Blues: Learning to Celebrate a Season for Two by Claudette Chenevert
IT’S CHRISTMAS MORNING. You wake up all excited but soon realize that this year is different. This Christmas will not be spent opening presents with your stepkids or even your own kids.
This Christmas it’s going to be just you and your spouse. A lump forms in your throat, as you think about it. You know it’s just another day, right? So what if you don’t have a houseful of squealing kids shouting “YES! I got my new phone!” or “Thanks for this gift. I really like it!”
Last year—for the first time, as we’re now parents of adult children—Bernard and I experienced Christmas without any of our kids. Continue reading “Stepfamily Holiday Blues: Inside the December 2016 Issue”
Whose Holiday Is It, Anyway? Make Your Stepfamily Holidays Merry and Bright by Claudette Chenevert and Christine G. Adamo
Have your plans ever been foiled by an ex wanting to take a spur-of-the-moment holiday trip sans kids? A wacky plan to which your partner said, “Yeah, we’ll take ’em!”— thus extinguishing your sugar plum visions of dinner and dancing with the sweetie on New Year’s Eve? (We have.)
Maybe your at-home stepfamily Christmas celebration was derailed by a text Continue reading “Stepfamily Holidays: Inside the November 2016 Issue”
Secrets of Stepmom Peak Performance: Mastering Stepfamily Life’s 6 Big Challenges by Iishana Artra, PhD
In my opinion, stepping is an X-sport. Think base jumping or shark surfing. We qualify for this elite distinction because we face unusual challenges while navigating a high number of inherently uncontrollable variables. Given that, who can deny that fast and accurate cognitive and perceptual processing is required to avoid serious injury?
A stepdaughter ignores our hello. Our partner ceases to parent. Continue reading “Stepmom Peak Performance: Inside the November 2016 Issue”
Is 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”
The 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”
Navigating Your Stepfamily’s Journey: Understanding the Stages of Stepfamily Development by Christina Roach, LMHC, NCC, DCC
Picture it: You meet the guy of your dreams. The only hiccup—if you would call it that—is that he comes with a kid in tow. You tell yourself it’s no big deal.
Anyways, how hard could it be? Fast forward a few months and you quickly discover that living in step is not what you had anticipated. Heck, it may be nowhere near what you had envisioned! Continue reading “Stepfamily Development: In the September 2016 Issue”