Tag Archive for: partner

Stepmoms: Quit Comparing Yourself to Your Partner’s Ex!

I’ve ALWAYS obsessed with comparing myself to my husband’s ex and now I’m making it public. I fixated on her looks, parenting skills, her previous and current relationship with my husband, her hatred for me. The list goes on and on. This…
Man With His Thumb Up

Why Your Husband Says “Yes” to His Ex

Do you hate it when your husband’s difficult ex asks for something and your husband jumps on the yes wagon? Or, even worse, when she wants something seemingly unreasonable – and even though you can tell from a mile away that he’ll regret…

Why Stepmums Get Jealous & Insecure in the Most Stable Relationships

You’re not weak or silly for feeling unsettled in your relationship when your partner’s past is so present in your home and family. It’s not weird to feel grossed out by anything that suggests previous intimacy. It’s not wrong to feel sad that our first experience of having a child with our partner is not their first experience.
Couple Holding Hands

A Stepmom’s Guide to Being a Supportive Partner

It is easy to be a loving, supportive and kind partner when you are comfortable with how things are going. It’s easy to feel safe and secure when your partner is making parenting decisions that are in alignment with your values.…
Pensive Stepmum

Lessons Learned When I Embraced My Role as Second Wife

Coming into my role as a second wife to the love of my life was no easy feat. It’s as if everywhere I turned there was another reminder of his former life, of the woman he loved before me. It was inescapable, perpetual torture. I wanted…
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 putting her hand out

Protect Yourself from High-Conflict Exes and their Pattern of Dysfunction

When dealing with a High-Conflict Ex (HCE), it's imperative to not get caught up in their constant complaining, negativity, and attacks. From my experience, there is a clear pattern of behavior that presents itself. Knowing this and understanding…
Couple Holding Hands

Missing the Firsts but Saving the Best for Last

I used to be bothered by the fact, that I missed out on all of my husband's firsts. I couldn't be his first wedding, first marriage, first wife; we didn’t buy our first house together, nor have our first babies together. A mindset shift…
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…
Shutting Ex-Wife Out

Six Steps for Setting Boundaries with Your Partner’s High-Conflict Ex

During the first couple years of marriage to my husband, he was extremely reluctant to set boundaries or even noticed the need for them. I, on the other hand, was ready to explode with all the inappropriate behavior from his high-conflict ex…
Guilt Trip

Stepping Away from Divorced Parent Guilt

Creating boundaries is important for self-care… oftentimes, our survival. They are a healthy way to protect ourselves from some tricky situations we may find ourselves in as a stepparent. Figuring out what we can control, and what we can’t,…
Pensive Stepmum

Stepping Above the Drama of His Ex-Wife

Being a stepmom in a newly blended family has been the hardest task of my life. For me, the most challenging part has been learning how to deal with my husband’s ex and controlling my feelings towards her actions. BuI don’t have a feel-good…
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…
Woman Thinking

Five Essential Questions to Ask Yourself Before Becoming a Stepmom

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…