Expert Stepfamily Advice for Any Woman Whose Partner Has Kids
Privacy Policy
Do Your Stepkids Tell Mom Everything?
BY MARY T. KELLY, MA
“All violations of essential privacy are brutalizing.” –Katherine Fullerton Gerould
Like me, you’ve probably never heard of Katharine Fullerton Gerould. She was a well-respected writer who was born in the late 1800s. I wonder what she would think of stepfamilies and the very real and consistent problem of privacy.
Let’s not mince any words here. Continue reading “Stepmom Privacy: Inside the August 2018 Issue”
“Dad’s Wife” The Real Reasons Stepkids Don’t Consider Us Family By Brenda Snyder, LCSW
Parents are parents. Grandparents are grandparents. So decreed my stepson, during the height of his wedding planning (circa 2009). A seemingly innocuous statement, I knew that he was ensuring that I would be recognized only as his “dad’s wife” and that my mother would not be given a corsage. I was 13 years into this stepfamily and, thus, had a pretty thick skin by that time.
Still, what is it about this stepkid relationship that makes it impossible for them to recognize us stepmoms as part of their families? In my experience, there are at least five reasons they fail to bring us into the fold. Continue reading “Are Stepmoms Family? Inside the July 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”
There’s No Place Like Home: Advice for Stepmoms Who Experience Outsider Syndrome By Mary T. Kelly, MA
It doesn’t matter how old you are: “There’s no place like home! There’s no place like home! There’s no place like home!” For most of us, these pleading words are as familiar as the sun rising in the East.
In “The Wizard of Oz,” Dorothy was lost and had to find her way back home. This was no easy endeavor. She went through trial after trial, faced perilous odds, came up against deception and, ultimately, found redemption. Oh, the roads she had to travel first to get there! Continue reading “Feel Like an Outsider? 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”
Holidays Reframed: A Stepmom’s Guide to Celebrating the Season By Brenda Snyder, LCSW
Getting through the holidays can be a challenge for everyone—stepmoms and stepfamilies included. Even the most seasoned stepmom may do little more than endure the last two months of the year. In some cases, experience makes us dread the holidays, as it takes so few brushes with these pages on the calendar to understand the reality of thwarted plans, hopes and dreams.
Why are holidays so tough? Many stepmoms eventually adopt the grit-your- teeth-and-endure style of survival, when it comes to getting through the holiday season. Continue reading “The Holidays – A Stepmom’s Guide: Inside the November 2017 Issue”
Take Your Ex and Shove It!: A Cautionary Tale From ‘The One’ Who Got Away By Christine G. Adamo
No. I’m not obsessing over or otherwise pining away for my ex, Mike. While he and I were never married or engaged, I was hip to being a stepmom and wrapped up in loving him—certain he was The One. Similarly to how you may have expressed it to your man, I told him he was the guy I’d waded thru years of relationship rigmarole to get to. Hmpf! Continue reading “Take Your Ex and Shove It! Inside the Oct. 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”