stepfamily dynamics Archives - Page 8 of 11

Long-Distance Stepfamily Holidays – In the December 2015 Issue

Long-Distance Holidays Stepfamily Style: 5 Ways to Connect When You Can’t Be Together by Heather Hetchler, MA

Holidays and family go together. Except when they don’t. There are many reasons stepfamilies aren’t together for the holidays. Sometimes, it’s a legal decree. Other times, one parent changes plans at the last minute or won’t allow the kids to come over. Kids may even choose (or be forced to choose) not to come to your home for the holidays at all.

It can be heartbreaking to have plans changed, children withheld or not be chosen as the home where the kids celebrate. Continue reading “Long-Distance Stepfamily Holidays – In the December 2015 Issue”

Inside the November 2015 Issue of StepMom Magazine

StepMom Magazine November 2015 — The November 2015 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”

Mom vs. Stepmom – Inside the November 2015 Issue

Mom VS. Stepmom: Free Yourself From
Competition With the Ex by Brenda Snyder, LCSW

If there’s a relationship more fraught with emotion than that of the stepmother and the ex-wife, I have yet to hear about it—and I’ve made a 20-year career of counseling people about their relationships.

It’s really unusual, even if you’re not sitting in a therapist’s office, to talk to someone for any length of time about life as a stepmother and not end up discussing the ex and her role in your life. Consider the time and energy you put into describing her latest manipulations, inconsiderate actions or poor parenting decisions. Continue reading “Mom vs. Stepmom – Inside the November 2015 Issue”

Stepfamily Dinners – Inside the November 2015 Issue

Stepfamily Dinners: Games, Strategies and Apps for Great Conversation by Claudette Chenevert

Whenever I think of family dinners, the image of Norman Rockwell’s “Freedom From Want” (which appeared on a 1943 cover of “The Saturday Evening Post” and depicts an animated gathering around a perfectly cooked turkey) I wonder, how can my family look like that?

Is it even possible?

In that painting, Rockwell captured a moment in time—not a lifetime filled with attempts to come together and sit for a meal as a family. Continue reading “Stepfamily Dinners – Inside the November 2015 Issue”

The Stepfamily Recipe – Inside the November 2015 Issue

The Stepfamily Recipe: Satisfy Your Stepfamily’s Needs by Recognizing Its Unique Ingredients by Dianne Martin, BSW, RSW

Many couples enter stepfamily life unaware of the monumental challenges they will encounter—challenges that often result from failing to appreciate the numerous structural and functional differences between first families and remarried families.

After all, the two have just about as much in common as apples and oranges.

Stepcouples frequently find themselves floundering in unfamiliar and unfriendly seas as they begin the process of merging two families. Continue reading “The Stepfamily Recipe – Inside the November 2015 Issue”

Stepmoms and Outsider Syndrome – In the October 2015 Issue

Stepmoms Outsider Syndrome — Inside the October 2015 Issue

Stepmoms and Outsider Syndrome: 7 Ways to Ease the Pain of Feeling Left Out by Claudette Chenevert

Your partner is sitting on the floor, playing with his kids. It’s been a few weeks since they were last together and they seem to be having a good time catching up. Here you are, looking at them, when an empty feeling creeps up inside you.

You try as hard as you can, hoping you’re making all the right moves. You sacrifice your time and space to make sure your partner’s kids feel at home, as if they belong. All the while, you are battling your own demons about what your place is in this relationship. Continue reading “Stepmoms and Outsider Syndrome – In the October 2015 Issue”

5 Benefits of Stepfamily Life – Inside the October 2015 Issue

Happily Ever After: 5 Benefits of Stepfamily Life by Christina Roach LMHC, NCC, DCC

You know he will always be a father. His kids come first. As a stepmom, you will need to adjust to their way of doing things.

These are just some of the messages I received when I decided to marry a man with kids. I’m not going to lie. Those words of encouragement—or lack thereof—were less than I had hoped for. After such rave reviews, what mentally stable person would sign up for this gig? Me. And given that you’re reading StepMom Magazine, I’m assuming you, too.

As stepmoms, we know stepfamily life has its share of turbulence and that some of us have it rougher than others. Continue reading “5 Benefits of Stepfamily Life – Inside the October 2015 Issue”

Same-Sex Stepfamilies – Inside the October 2015 Issue

Same Sex Stepfamilies: To Be, Or Not to Be, in the Closet? by Trisha Ladogna

The U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the Constitution gives same-sex couples the right to marry and Caitlyn Jenner’s public transition are both tremendous milestones which pave the way toward legitimizing and accepting same-sex and transgender stepfamilies.

There is a lot to celebrate, not only for those who identify as members of related communities but also for those who gave birth to, grew up with, befriended or love someone who identifies as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.

These massive steps forward, however, have not eliminated the challenges faced by lesbian stepfamilies. Continue reading “Same-Sex Stepfamilies – Inside the October 2015 Issue”

Inside the September 2015 Issue of StepMom Magazine

StepMom Magazine September 2015 — The September 2015 Issue

The September 2015 issue of StepMom Magazine is here!

Becoming a stepmom is like taking a crash course in subjects women never dream of studying: “How to Deal With an Angry Ex” and “Child Support 101” aren’t offered, as requirements or electives, in high school or university course catalogues. And yet? Millions of women find themselves tested every single day.

It’s like a taking a pop quiz you never studied for. Your patience is tested. Your ability to withstand character attacks is tested. Your stamina, your self-confidence, your relationship with your partner … they’re all repeatedly tested, too.

The good news is? You can ace these tests! We’re here to guide you through it. Every step of the way! Here’s what you’ll find inside when you subscribe: Continue reading “Inside the September 2015 Issue of StepMom Magazine”

Stepmom Strategies – Get Him to Listen – In the Sept. 2015 Issue

Getting Your Partner to Listen – Stepmom Strategies: Stop Harping and Be Heard by Mary T. Kelly, MA

⊲ “We need to talk.”

⊲ “You need to tell your kid to clean his room.”

⊲ “I need you to set your ex straight on our boundaries.”

⊲ “You need to start disciplining your kids or I’ll do it for you.”

Do you recognize yourself in any of those statements? In truth, that list could go on and on. I’ll bet you’ve started multiple conversations with your partner by saying, “You need to …,” I want you to …,” or some variation of that. Continue reading “Stepmom Strategies – Get Him to Listen – In the Sept. 2015 Issue”

Login

Reset Password