I’m a mom and a stepmom. I know both jobs are two of the hardest, sometimes most thankless jobs on the planet. But one of those roles has been more of a personal challenge for me than the other. Can you guess which one it is? Yup — it’s the stepmom one. I went through the first […]
Stepparents have been around for a long time. They’ve stepped in, stepped up, and they have patiently allowed themselves to be painted into the background on many occasions. There are stories of wicked stepmothers both in real life and in fairytales as well as plenty of horror stories about abusive stepfathers — this is true. These […]
My daughter and I were cuddled up on the couch watching something together. Somehow, the subject of her brother came up and how I was his stepmom. No big deal. But then she turned to me and said, ‘Well, you are his stepmom. But I don’t get to have a stepmom.’ I had never imagined […]
1. Self-Awareness It’s healthy for every person and parent out there to have developed a generous sense of self-awareness, but for a stepmom, it can be particularly useful. No matter what your situation as a stepmom is, whether it’s a full-time, part-time, weekend, or even seasonal stepmom, if you don’t go into this role with […]
The stepmom journey is nothing if not unpredictable. Just when you think you’ve finally mastered a decent amount of challenges as a stepmom, a new and unexpected challenge pops right out at you. Just as you feel your feet are finally on a level surface as a stepmom, the ground disintegrates under you. And there you are, hanging […]
Along my step-parenting journey, I have learned some intense lessons that have become my tested tools for life. Some of these tools were already in my repertoire, but since I became a stepmom they have been completely transformed into the life lessons I will carry with me forever. I have written this from the viewpoint […]
The decision to be part of someone’s life on a long-term basis is a monumental one. If the person you love has children from a previous relationship or marriage, then making sure this decision is the right one for you and everyone else involved is imperative. As a stepmom myself, I’ve compiled 5 essential questions you should […]
I consider the bond I have built with my stepson to be one of the most important and meaningful relationships of my life. I also consider him to be one of the major influences in how I parent my own daughter. At the beginning of my step-parenting journey, I didn’t have my own children. I […]
As I started off my role as a stepmom, I would hear people say, “You can’t possibly love your step-kids as your own. It’s not the same.” At the beginning of my stepmom journey, I would say that I agreed with that statement. I figured it was a logical deduction considering a stepchild isn’t biologically […]
We all have terrible, no good, and downright atrocious days as human beings. As a wife, mother, and stepmother I have plenty of those days myself. The difference for stepmoms is that, quite often, there are not many people around us who can relate to our feelings or who have experience with what it’s like […]
There’s a lot I still don’t know about being a completely healthy, well-adjusted stepmom. There’s a lot I’m still figuring out. It’s definitely a complicated balancing act of epic proportions. But there are things I’ve been continually learning that I can pass on to other stepmoms. There are experiences we all go through that bind […]
No stepmom likes to think of herself as bitter, angry, or resentful. No stepmom likes the idea of other people seeing her in that light either. A lot of people have referred to me as, “the best stepmom in the world,” or, “the perfect stepmom.” Maybe I am all of those things in my best […]
When I first came on the scene in the beginning stages of dating my now-husband, I had very little concept as to how dating a single father and becoming a stepmom would ultimately change my life. The biological mother of my now-stepson didn’t even acknowledge my presence the first time we were in the same […]
For the determined stepmom who is in the trenches, I feel you. For the new stepmom who cried this morning, I’ve been there. For the seasoned stepmom who still battles resentment, I’m with you. This road can feel long. It can be treacherous, and it can be confusing. Knowing which path to take at any given time can feel […]
