Stepmom Support

Have you ever heard of stepmom imposter syndrome? You may not have had a name for it, but my guess is that you've definitely experienced it. What Is Stepmom Imposter Syndrome? You probably felt it the first time you did something "parent-like" and heard a little voice inside your head say, "what am I doing [...]

Being a stepmom on Mother's Day can cause a lot of uncomfortable emotions. For weeks, stores are filled with Mother's Day cards and mugs designating "Best Mom Ever" and "#1 Mom." The morning news shows are saturated with segments about Mother's Day gifts and brunches. And you're feeling some combination of left out, like you're an imposter, [...]

Do you ever feel like you just don’t fit in to your stepfamily? Like your dream of actually blending together as a family unit will just never happen? What you're feeling has a name. It's called outsider syndrome. I'd never heard of it when I became a stepmom, but when I heard the term defined I [...]

History was made today. But not the kind you think. Regardless of your political opinions, Kamala Harris has broken any number of barriers by being elected to the second-highest office in the land. She is the first Black, first female, and first South Asian to become vice president-elect. But there’s another first that you don’t [...]

If you have a friend or family member who married a man with kids, it may not have occurred to you that there are things you should never say to stepmoms. It certainly hadn't occurred to me until I became a stepmom. There are, of course, all kinds of supportive things that you can do [...]

Every stepmom needs her spouse to be her partner in order to succeed. That partnership looks different for every couple, but there are some common threads that should weave together every blended family relationship. I've written before about how hard it was to transition into stepmotherhood. And how alone it can feel. And how so [...]

Being a stepmother can be a tough and lonely job. She's got essentially the same level of responsibility as biological parents, but isn't always perceived -or treated- like a parent. And even her closest friends and family may not understand the challenges. Or that just a few supportive words would make a huge difference for [...]

Myths about stepmoms abound. And they're usually not super flattering. Cinderella got her prince, but her story didn't do stepmothers any favors! Hence the nicknames. Stepmonster. Wicked stepmother. Evil stepmother. You get the gist. I'm guessing most people have some sort of preconceived notion about stepmothers, even if subconscious. And even if they don't want [...]

We all know a stepmom's role is unusual. And whether you're called "stepmonster" or "bonus mom", the role is much more complicated than any name you've got. It can be a constant struggle to let go of the anger caused by tough family dynamics. So we decided we would lighten things up and have some fun. [...]

Have you set your New Year's resolutions? If you're like me, you've been thinking about them but haven't put pen to paper just yet. Well, let's change that. I've been thinking a lot lately about how the role of stepparent shapes every aspect of my life. So it occurred to me that maybe we need [...]