Tag: stepfamily life

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”

Stepfamily Dinners – 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

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”

5 Benefits of Stepfamily Life – Inside the October 2015 Issue

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”

Aviva Drescher – Inside the August 2015 issue

Aviva Drescher StepMom Magazine
Inside the August 2015 Issue

An Interview with Aviva Drescher: The Reality TV Personality Talks with StepMom Magazine’s Brenda Ockun about Fame, Family and Finding Happiness

Aviva Drescher lives a life that’s rich in experiences. She’s a mother, a stepmom, a philanthropist, an author and a former cast member of Bravo’s reality TV series, “The Real Housewives of New York City” (Seasons 5 and 6).

This month, Aviva shares her thoughts about stepfamily life, living in the limelight and overcoming obstacles during an interview with Brenda Ockun, the founder and publisher of StepMom Magazine.

Find out what you have in common with this celebrity stepmom in our telling interview—which begins on Page 14.

…To read the rest of this article, log in to your account and download the August 2015 issue. Don’t have an account? Click here to subscribe.

Having an Ours Baby – Inside the August 2015 Issue

Ours Baby StepMom Magazine
Inside the August 2015 Issue

Sitting in the Center: An Ours Child’s Perspective on Stepfamily Life by Trisha Ladogna

Our decision to have an ours baby was not made lightly. I was 36, a childless stepmother for more than five years and had suffered a miscarriage prior to having my first biological child.

Like many first-time mothers, I did an amazing amount of preparation and reading about what was happening with my body and my baby. Like many stepmothers, I did just as much reading and preparation around the impact this little bundle of joy would have on our stepfamily—particularly my stepson.

And, like both stepmothers and mothers, I worried. Continue reading “Having an Ours Baby – Inside the August 2015 Issue”

Why Stepfamilies Are Different – Inside the August 2015 Issue

Stepfamilies Are Unique
Inside the August 2015 Issue

Embrace Your Differences: 5 Factors That Make Stepfamilies Unique by Brenda Snyder, LCSW

A family is a family is a family. Two adults. Some kids. Does it really matter so much how and when the family was formed? Or that not all of the people in that family are blood related? You look like a family. You act like a family. Love conquers all.

The same rules ought to apply, right? Rarely do women who are not stepmothers understand just how wrong these assumptions are. They try to be supportive, but they just don’t get it.

Stepfamilies are different.

And it’s time to embrace those differences. At least five factors make stepfamilies unique. Continue reading “Why Stepfamilies Are Different – Inside the August 2015 Issue”

Inside the August 2015 Issue of StepMom Magazine

StepMom Magazine August 2015The August 2015 issue of StepMom Magazine is HERE!

This month’s issue features an exclusive interview with former “Real Housewives of New York City” cast member: Aviva Drescher!

Aviva is a celebrity and a stepmom (like you!) who understands what it’s like to have your every move broadcast under the glare of a spotlight, while people you don’t even know make assumptions about you.

Find out what you have in common with this celebrity stepmom in our telling interview—which begins on Page 14.

Here’s what’s inside for subscribers: Continue reading “Inside the August 2015 Issue of StepMom Magazine”

Inside the July 2015 Issue of StepMom Magazine

StepMom Magazine July 2015
The July 2015 Issue

The July 2015 issue of StepMom Magazine is HERE!

This month’s issue explores topics which epitomize the highs and lows of stepmothering such as:

Having a baby, living with teenagers, dealing with changes in custody and vacationing as a stepfamily.

The July 2015 issue is full of practical information and tools you can start using today.

You’ll also learn why you need to make date night a priority, why you don’t need to worry so much about your adolescent stepkids’ antics and why it’s OK to eat donuts for breakfast—or dinner even.

Here’s what you’ll find inside when you subscribe: Continue reading “Inside the July 2015 Issue of StepMom Magazine”

Stepfamily Dynamics for Divorced Dads – In the June 2015 Issue

stepfamily dynamics
Inside the June 2015 Issue

It’s Complicated! A Divorced Dad’s Guide to Understanding Stepfamily Dynamics by Brenda Snyder, LCSW

Women are complicated. We know it. We’re even proud of it. Sometimes we don’t make sense to ourselves—not that we’d ever admit it to you … the men we love.

Your situation, of course, takes the concept of complexity to new heights. Because you have kids (whom you and your current partner didn’t create together), you get to sort through all kinds of extra stuff that takes the term “relationship challenge” to an entirely new level. Continue reading “Stepfamily Dynamics for Divorced Dads – In the June 2015 Issue”