• Are Stepmoms Really Just Substitute Teachers? Is the #stepmom the same as the substitute (sub) teacher?  Remember when you were in school and the sub came in?  The mere thought of it gets my heart racing in glee.  My brain starts calculating how I can mess with her.  Actually, I am really waiting for the bad kids to start messing with her so I can watch and giggle.  It isn’t right.  I

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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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    Stepfamilies Need Their Own Supreme Court Decision! The Supreme Court of the United States (#SCOTUS) approved same-sex marriage today (the writing of this blog).  Per CNN online, "Voting 5-4 in each of two decisions, justices threw out part of a law that denied hundreds of federal benefits to same-sex couples and cleared the way for gays and lesbians to once again marry in California." 

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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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    The Stepfamily MantraAhh! My Dad Married the Evil Stepmother! Run! Has your stepfamily ever told you that they are afraid of you?  Don't be surprised if they are terrified.  Yes, I said 'terrified'.  No one will tell you that they are scared.  In fact, they may act as if they tower over you and give you the impression that you are powerless.  Have you seen this type of behavior by your

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    The Very Involved Stepparent May Be a Pain!www.AnneTaintor.com I just realized that I have been a pain in the ass.  It hit me like a lightning bolt.  Let me explain my thinking. When I became a stepmother, I jumped in with two feet.  I was so excited to be related to my stepchildren.  I loved being part of their lives.  I also felt as if I might have something to offer them.  I had no

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    You Are One in a Million!Happy Mother's Day!from: Greeting Card Universe It is that dreaded time of year for stepmothers everywhere, Mother’s Day.  The emotional turmoil and quiet confusion starts several weeks before the holiday and culminates in a litany of rationalizations right up until that dire Sunday.  It is reasonable that children spend Mother’s Day with their mother.  For

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