• Stepmoms and the Ex: Does familiarity breed contempt?Picture by Anne Taintor I’m bringing bitchy back Them other girls don’t know how to act Sometimes I think that stepmothers and ex-wives should have a t shirt that says, “We’re Bringing Bitchy Back”.  Maybe, I should create a rap video of the same name.  Let’s face it. Many of us act really bitchy towards the ex-wife or

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    We Need Some StepMommy-isms! I love mommy-isms.  You know what they are.  They are the classic expressions that your mother used and you swore that you would never say.  But, then, you find that you are saying them.  Some are wise.  Some are ridiculous.  Some are downright horrible and some would generate a call to your state’s child protective services.  I thought it would be fun to

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    Stepmoms Looking for Respect in All the Wrong Places per Anne Taintor One of the hardest parts about being a stepmom is that you work your ass off and get, what appears to be, nothing in return.  This show is not going to be about what we really get in return, it is strictly about how it often feels.  Lack of acknowledgement.  Disrespect.  Small requests not granted.  No thank yous.  No

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    Stepfamilies Are Awesome! Happy Stepfamily Day! If you are lucky enough to have a stepparent, a step-sibling and step-relatives, September 16th is your day.  It is National Stepfamily Day.  The purpose of this day is to recognize stepfamilies by taking a minute and recognizing the love, care and support the step-relatives provide.  It is the day for us to remember how lucky we are to

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    Stepfamilies Can Have Fun Like These Passengers on this Flight! I felt compelled to write this blog when I saw the video of the Southwest Airlines flight from Phoenix to Los Angeles.  This is so great!  Singer Gavin DeGraw was on the flight.  Southwest Airlines asked or paid him to sing to the customers during the flight.  It was completely impromptu for the passengers.  The look on their

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    Stepmothers: Can We Create a Soft Place to Land for Our Children? Ourselves? Our Partners?(Source: coloribus.com) Dr. Laura Schlesinger always advises her clients that they should never marry a person with children.  She advises that divorced parents should focus should on the children and there is not room for another person.  She also argues that there will always be resentments on all

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    There are a thousand situations, but I thought it may be nice to have a cheat sheet for just a couple of the more common situations.  It's a start!  Let's face it.  There are rules for sports.  Rules at work.  Rules at school  What about rules for the stepfamily.  As I always say, "Stepfamilies are not for the faint of heart". It would sure be easier if we could make a list of rules.  Here

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    Bio Moms and Stepmothers Suffer from Bad NamesImage: http://falcon-hargraves.com I really dislike the term bio Mom as must as I dislike the term stepmom. I have used these terms in my blogs on a frequent basis.  I use them because I am trying to differentiate who I am talking about.  A few readers have called me on the carpet about the bio Mom title and I must say that I agree with them.  In

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    Your StepChildren Are Champions. See Rita Pierson's TedTalk (attached) I have often said that it is difficult to know if we are happy or unhappy with our life as a stepmother because we don't know who we are or the role we are supposed to play in our families.  In the past, I have written about our roles.  Are we friends?  Quasi parents?  Memory makers?  Event planners?  Then, I saw this

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    Do Our Stepchildren Feel Entitled? I hear that word constantly.  My stepchildren feel entitled.  Their Mom feels entitled.  Everyone seems to feel entitled except us.  Hmmm…I wonder if that’s true?  Let’s tear it apart a bit and see if we can find a solution. What do we mean by entitled?  The word entitled means that you feel as if you deserve things that you have not

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