Stepcouple Sex – Inside the February 2016 Issue

Stepcouple Sex
Inside the February 2016 Issue

Getting It On: Sex and the Woman With Stepkids by Wednesday Martin, PhD

Let’s talk about stepcouple sex. Sex is different for stepmothers.

Let me explain. Sex is sex, of course, and in marriage it is frequently, well, vexed. Too much. Not enough. Too tired. Too stressed. Too worried. Too busy. But interviewing women with stepchildren and reviewing the psychological and sociological literature for my book “Stepmonster,” I found that women married to or partnered with men with kids face several very specific hurdles to a satisfying sex life. Continue reading “Stepcouple Sex – Inside the February 2016 Issue”

Stepdaughter Issues – Inside the February 2016 Issue

Stepdaughter Issues
Inside the February 2016 Issue

Mini-Wives: A Stepmom’s Guide to Dealing With His Dominating Daughter by Mary T. Kelly, MA

Are you having stepdaughter issues?

PICTURE THIS: It’s your wedding day and you’re marrying the ideal man for you. Granted, he comes with a 6-year-old daughter—but you’ve known her for a while and you get along well. Your special day is going to be perfect!

Imagine your surprise when it’s time for the first dance and your brand spanking new husband reaches out for his daughter’s hand and leads her to the dance floor. You’re left standing there, as heat fills your cheeks and you attempt a feeble smile aimed at the guests, hoping that the pounding in your heart isn’t noticeable.

Yet, it only gets worse. Continue reading “Stepdaughter Issues – Inside the February 2016 Issue”

Stepcouple Relationships – Inside the February 2016 Issue

Stepcouple Relationships
Inside the February 2016 Issue

Stepcouple Relationships: Tips for Making It Work by Trisha Ladogna

It may be that the divorce rates for second and third marriages are lower than originally thought. Those statistics, which have been touted around for years, note that between 60 and 70 percent of those relationships end in divorce. But subsequent studies are showing that those numbers appear to be much more favorable.

In 2013, the Marriage Foundation (a U.K. relationship think tank) released a report showing that the divorce rate for second marriages is not any higher than it is for those who marry for the first time. Continue reading “Stepcouple Relationships – Inside the February 2016 Issue”

Stepmom Resentment – Inside the February 2016 Issue

stepmom resentment
Inside the February 2016 Issue

Stepmoms Who Give Too Much: 4 Signs You’re Pushing Yourself Down the Path of Martyrdom by Claudette Chenevert

Stepmom resentment. As stepmoms, we sometimes sacrifice time with friends, extended family and even ourselves to cater to our partners and/or stepkids. We do this in part (and often subconsciously) in the hope that we’ll be viewed as the ideal stepmom—the one who’s there for everyone. Yet, when we’re finally exhausted and recognize we’re in need of help, little to none can be found.

Do you ever try to be all things to all people only to realize that no one truly notices or benefits from it as much as you thought they would? Continue reading “Stepmom Resentment – Inside the February 2016 Issue”

Stepmom Summit – Videos from The Steve Harvey Show

Stepmom Summit
Click here to watch all five Steve Harvey Stepmom Summit VIDEOS!

On Thurs., Jan. 21, 2016, StepMom Magazine Founder and Publisher Brenda Ockun was on TV, representing stepmoms worldwide, as a special guest of the “Steve Harvey” daytime TV talk show.

Brenda was asked to appear on Steve’s first-ever, televised Stepmom Summit, as the resident subject-matter expert. On that panel were two celebrity stepmoms—Steve’s wife, Marjorie, and Tameka “Tiny” Harris, a former member of the R&B group Xscape and wife of rapper T.I. Continue reading “Stepmom Summit – Videos from The Steve Harvey Show”

Steve Harvey Show Stepmom Summit – Watch it this week!

Steve Harvey Stepmom SummitWatch the Steve Harvey Show Stepmom Summit featuring StepMom Magazine Publisher Brenda Ockun THIS Thursday (Jan. 21).

Brenda was invited on as a subject-matter-expert guest star, to discuss stepfamily issues alongside Steve’s wife Marjorie and Tameka “Tiny” Cottle-Harris (a former member of the R&B group Xscape and wife of rapper T.I.).

Together, the women will discuss all of the challenges that come along with being a stepmom, like how to discipline the kids, battles with the biological mom, finding your place in the relationship and the ugly label of the “evil stepmom.”

Read more about the show at http://www.steveharveytv.com/its-the-stepmom-summit/
and find when and where the show airs in your area at: http://SteveHarveyTV.com/watch/

Inside the January 2016 Issue of StepMom Magazine

StepMom Magazine January 2016
The January 2016 Issue

The January 2016 issue of StepMom Magazine is HERE!

This month marks StepMom Magazine’s 7th anniversary! To celebrate, we’ve packed this special edition with information to make your life as a stepmom easier by revealing the truth about becoming a stepmom and sharing tips to help you succeed. This issue is full of candid admissions and insights from therapists, best-selling authors, lawyers, and stepmoms on the front lines.

Wednesday Martin, PhD, author of Stepmonster, shares what she’s learned in her research on stepmom resentment. Feel like you’ve lost yourself since becoming a stepmom? Heather Hetchler offers a few resolutions for reclaiming your old self. And Christina Roach explores the unique impact infertility has on stepmoms.

And that’s just a sampling. Here’s everything you’ll find inside this month’s issue: Continue reading “Inside the January 2016 Issue of StepMom Magazine”

Stepmoms and Infertility – Inside the January 2016 Issue

Stepmom Infertility
Inside the January 2016 Issue

Infertility – The Secret Pain Many Stepmoms Suffer by Christina Roach, LMHC, NCC, DCC

Being a stepmom has its share of ups and downs—as each of us know all too well. The experience can become devastating, though, when faced with infertility concerns.

Regardless of the degree to which children are desired, the inability to conceive dismantles the image of mother, father and child walking hand-in-hand. It has the crushing strength of a wrecking ball that rips through a building as it’s demolished, crumbling it relentlessly to the ground.

What’s left can feel like a barren wasteland. Empty. Dark. Hopeless. Continue reading “Stepmoms and Infertility – Inside the January 2016 Issue”

Understanding Your Stepkids – Inside the January 2016 Issue

understanding your stepkids
Inside the January 2016 Issue

Tips for Understanding Your Stepkids – Start the New Year off Right! by Claudette Chenevert

Being in a stepfamily is no walk in the park for any of us. There are times when things are great and everyone is getting along— even having fun together. Then there are other times when being in a stepfamily is a nightmare. As stepmoms, we know this only too well, but it’s also true from the children’s perspectives.

While living through the separation and eventual divorce of their parents, our stepkids experienced a lot of insecurity. Where would they live? Who would they live with? And for how long? At the time, they were (and probably remain) understandably scared, unsure, angry and distraught at losing control over nearly every aspect of their lives. Continue reading “Understanding Your Stepkids – Inside the January 2016 Issue”

Interview with Jamie Tompkins – Inside the January 2016 Issue

Interview with Jamie Tompkins
Inside the January 2016 Issue

Jamie Tompkins – TV Journalist—and Stepmom! The Seattle-Based TV Anchor on Stepmoms, Stereotypes and Media Shortfalls Interview by Brenda Ockun, Founder and Publisher of StepMom Magazine

To say Jamie Tompkins is confident is an understatement. Over the last 10 years, this Q13 Fox News broadcast journalist has taken every opportunity to share her stepmom experience with audiences from coast to coast—on live TV no less.

It clearly takes a lot to rattle an anchor who’s no stranger to A-listers, grills politicians like nobody’s business, steps into jailhouses to interview convicted felons and chases down tornadoes in the name of journalism … without the slightest hint of a stray hair! Yet, she says, nothing prepared her for life’s toughest assignment: being a stepmom. Continue reading “Interview with Jamie Tompkins – Inside the January 2016 Issue”