Expert Stepfamily Advice for Any Woman Whose Partner Has Kids
Stepmom Support Groups
Take What You Like and Leave the Rest
BY ANNA DE ACOSTA
Do you long for connection with other like-minded stepmoms who get where you’re coming from? Human nature drives us to want to connect with others on a deeper level to feel understood. Yet, in many cases, those who have walked the walk and been stepmoms themselves are the only ones who truly understand our day-to-day challenges. Continue reading “Stepmom Support Groups: Inside the August 2018 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”
It’s so much harder than you expected it to be. Hell, if you’re gonna be really honest, it’s so tough you spend inordinate amounts of time wondering if it’s even worth it. What is this “it” that’s causing you—and others like you—to feel so much consternation? It’s the experience of being, or the thought of becoming, a stepmom.
“I’ve been living a sad tale for 16 years,” a reader recently shared on the StepMom Magazine Facebook page. “I wonder now if it was worth it.”
Continue reading “Stepfamily Resources: Inside the July 2017 Issue”
Stepmom Blunders: 6 Mistakes Nearly Every Stepmother Makes by Mary T. Kelly, MA
The hundreds of women I’ve worked with have more than a few things in common. For one thing, they’re nearly all stepmoms. For another, at some point in their stepfamily journeys, nearly every one of them has become discouraged, gotten burnt out and found herself feeling hopeless about the future. Continue reading “Stepmom Blunders: Inside the March 2017 Issue”
The February 2017 issue of StepMom Magazine is HERE!
→ Advice for stepmoms who feel shunned by their stepkids
→ Tips for dealing with the ebb and flow of stepfamily life
→ How to keep the passion alive in your relationship
→ Creative ideas for celebrating Valentine’s Day
→ How shifting your perspective can make you happier
→ What it’s like when child support ends
→ And much more!
Continue reading “Inside the February 2017 Issue”
The January 2017 issue of StepMom Magazine is HERE!
→ Why Stepcouples Must Present a United Front
→ 4 Rules for Ditching Anger and Negativity
→ Protecting Your Assets During Your Stepkids’ Teen Years
→ Teaching Your Stepkids to Respect Personal Boundaries
→ 6 Ways to Combat Loneliness in Stepfamily Land
→ 10 Tips to Make 2017 a Banner Year
→ And much more!
Continue reading “Inside the January 2017 Issue”
The October 2016 issue of StepMom Magazine is HERE!
→ What to do when your stepkids snub you
→ How to stop being so mad at your partner’s ex
→ Why you might be overthinking stepfamily life
→ How to bounce back if you’ve hit stepmom rock bottom
→ Legal advice about child support
→ 5 Steps to healing when you’ve been hurt
→ And much more!
Here’s what else you’ll find inside: Continue reading “Inside the October 2016 Issue”
Stepmoms and Rejection: 5 Ways to Deal When You’ve Been Dissed by Mary T. Kelly, MA
Do any—or all—of these complaints ring a bell for you? They will if you suspect that the stepkids are none too thrilled with you:
⊲ “I’ve never felt so disliked or unwelcomed.”
⊲ “His ex hates me. Now? His kids hate me, too.”
⊲ “His kids were never warm, friendly or kind—despite my efforts.”
⊲ “My stepdaughter and I were close. She turned 13 and it all went sour.”
⊲ “My stepkids loved me before I moved in. They took a 180-degree turn after I unpacked my bags.” Continue reading “Stepmoms and Rejection: Inside the October 2016 Issue”
Custodial Stepmoms: Ease the Stress of 24/7 Stepparenting by Mary T. Kelly, MA
Overheard at my local coffee shop: “I’m telling you, Amanda, this parenting stuff is for the birds. My kids are so ungrateful. I do and do for them and they just seem to expect it. I need a very long vacation.”
Amanda’s retort: “Tell me about it!” Continue reading “Custodial Stepmoms: Inside the August 2016 Issue”
Stepmom Sanity Savers: 4 Secret Moves to a More Empowered You by Iishana Artra, PhD
A hallmark of sanity is possessing good judgment when faced with real life circumstances. As renowned expert Patricia L. Papernow, PhD, says, in stepfamilies, “What works is not intuitive.” In other words, good judgment here is largely a matter of stopping ourselves from stepparenting by reflex.
Seven years, according to Papernow, is the average time it takes to get the hang of stepfamily life. If we’re lucky? Four years. For some, surviving the learning curve is like climbing a 3,000-foot cliff in the rain, in winter, without shoes on and while dodging falling rocks. One sudden move could lead to all sorts of ruin. (That’s how I felt the first time I gave it a whirl.) Continue reading “Stepmom Sanity Savers – Inside the April 2016 Issue”