parenting

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 [...]

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 [...]

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. [...]

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 [...]

Well, life sure does have a way of changing quickly, doesn't it? This time last week, we knew the Coronavirus threat was emerging, but who could have thought that things would be so different in the span of a few short days? And that it would continue to change by the hour.  I'm guessing you [...]

One of the things they teach you in Stepmom School is how to bond with your stepkids. Wait, there's a school for this? No, I'm kidding - there is absolutely not a school for stepparents. Which I found out the hard way when I was looking for resources as a new stepmom. Although I'm not [...]

Do you worry about how to instill mindfulness in your teen? Or about his/her anxiety? How about their reliance on social media? Or all of the above? Today's Teens Face Complicated Challenges Teen suicide rates are the highest since 2000 and in today's fast-paced world, teens experience more anxiety than ever before. They're under social [...]

Although I'm not the neatest person on record (my husband Craig will attest to that), I have always been fairly organized with my files. But it didn't occur to me until we started building our family emergency plan that we should also have a "grab and go" binder. That is, a binder filled with all [...]

My husband Craig and I realized we were woefully underprepared for an emergency, so we worked to pull together a comprehensive plan. And I documented all that we did. This is one of several posts that will give you the complete blueprint to create your own plan (complete with FREE checklists and kits when you [...]

Here are all the steals and deals to prepare you for back to school shopping season.

One of the biggest stories that broke this week was a jaw-dropping admissions scandal involving some of the most prestigious universities in the country. The case will have far-reaching and long-lasting consequences. It is also an exclamation-point lesson in parenting.