Tag Archive for: respect

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…
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.…
Stepmum Writing

How to Communicate with Mom: Crafting Your Stepmom Philosophy

My best friend is my stepdaughter’s mom. Yep, you read that right. What’s the question that follows that confession every single time? “How in the world did you get to that point?!” My biggest recommendation for helping other…
Parent Disciplining Child

Disciplining Stepchildren: 5 Tips for Parents

Whenever I coach stepfamilies – either parents, their children or the family as a whole – there’s one issue that almost always crops up: discipline. How do stepparents avoid being seen as the nasty interloper with ridiculous new rules,…
Pensive Stepmum

Why I Miss the Stepmom

If someone told me several years ago that I would be missing my children's stepmom I would have told them they are freaken crazy. No way in the world could I ever miss that lady. The struggles, arguments, and disagreements were enough to make…
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…
Stepdad reading to stepchildren

Showing Affection to Stepkids

Affection can be shown in ways other than hugs and kisses After being a stepdad for thirteen years, it didn’t feel odd at all to welcome my wife’s sixteen-year-old niece into our home. My step kids are grown and out of the house and…
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…