family

If I asked you whether your relationship is your top priority, what would you say? If you said yes, did you mean it? When was the last time you and your spouse had some alone time and talked about your feelings? Really connected. Discussed your hopes or your dreams. Or even just had more than [...]

When you got married, did you and your spouse spend much time talking about what your blended family foundation would look like? How about what each of your expectations was? Or what kind of stepmom you would be, or how the kids would be expected to relate to you? My guess is no. We sure [...]

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 [...]

While Mother's Day can be complicated for stepmoms, celebrating Father's Day in a blended family is usually a little easier. And it can be an opportunity for you to bond with your stepchildren. You can help the kids celebrate their dad by planning a fun day and letting them help you find some fun gifts. [...]

There are many things I was not prepared for when I became a stepmom. But one topic that's glaringly at the front of my mind these days is how to talk to and teach my white kids about race and social injustice. Talking About Race Is Hard. And I'll Probably Say The Wrong Thing. [...]