Tag Archive for: appreciation

Stepmum and stepdaughter reading together

The Harsh Realities of Stepparenting

My mother-in-law is a wonderful, caring, nurturing woman. She would give you the shirt off her back in a heartbeat. To boot, she’s never met a stranger – can you imagine what kind of love that means for those of us in her family? Indescribable. But…
Couple Talking

15 Things Stepmom Wishes Her Husband Knew

In that moment, I knew I couldn’t say anything to make him understand. I could verbalize my emotions until I was blue in the face, but he just wasn’t going to make sense of my words. Exhausting myself trying to explain why I was struggling…
Mother and Adult Daughter

All Mothers Matter

I recently watched my grandmother die. She was nearly 93, at the end of a long and storied life, and she had no pain. My mother and I were with her, alone together in the room as she left us. In offering condolences, the hospice workers commented…
Stepfamily

Making the Most Out of Mother’s Day

Oooooh, it’s that time of year again where many stepmoms are looking inward to figure out their place in the home. For some, this day can be a day where they are pampered with gifts and with love. While other stepmoms feel rejected and doubt…
Family Laughing

Stepchildren Just Want to Fit In – Part 2

As a stepdad, I found some ways to help my stepchildren feel like they fit into our blended family. It was my goal to have my stepchildren feel that they belong to our family, that I believe in them, and that I want to see them become the…
Loving Couple

7 Tips to a Prosperous Marriage and 1 for Good Luck

I often wondered what it takes to have a successful marriage. I've asked people for their advice and I've heard things like, “you have to be best friends”, “don't go to bed angry”, and “respect each other”. I agree with each of…
Stepmum with Stepdaughter

The Art of Mothering

Mothering is truly an art. Bio-moms, stepmoms, foster moms, adoptive moms, soon-to-be moms, etc., all engage in the "art of mothering." According to Oxford Dictionaries, a mother can be defined as: To bring up a child with care and affection.To…
Family Hugging

How to Honor Stepmoms on Mother’s Day

Mother's Day for stepmoms and their partners can be a tricky day to navigate; emotions can run high and anxiety can brew. Some recognize Mother's Day. Some recognize Stepmother's Day, which is the following Sunday. Some make up their own…
Loving Couple

The Couple Comes First

I once read a stepmom article on ways to gel as a stepfamily. I thought it was great and agreed with all of it except for one thing: the article stated not to put your marriage first. Of course, there is a time and place for putting children…
Stepmum Receiving Gift

What Stepmoms Want You to Know About Mother’s Day

I’ve known my stepchildren for over half their lives, yet I get reminded of my lack of belonging continuously throughout the year. Mother’s Day is often a day that solidifies a stepmother's dark feelings of unimportance in her blended…
Stepmum Friends

Stepmoms Are Not Most Women

My husband and I just celebrated our wedding anniversary.  Our marriage has been challenging due to his ex and her instabilities, which inevitably trickle down to us. Nevertheless, each year we like to reflect on the past year…
Stepmum and Stepchild

Why It’s OK To Love Your Stepchildren Like Your Own ― And What That Really Means

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…