STEPMOM

Sounds like a strange phrase “to ex”… but perhaps we should be thinking of “ex” as a verb.  A way of being in the “extended family” that includes your children’s other parent and his  partner.  Your child or children are now in a stepfamily, and now you are “the ex” in that extended family.  You [...]

Since the stepfamily consists of two or more bloodlines under one roof, the issue of sexuality in the stepfamily can be a difficult one.  When you have unrelated teens living in close quarters, sharing a bathroom, etc. it is very important to set clear boundaries.  Here are some guidelines proposed by the National Stepfamily Resource [...]

I wrote the following article for Stepmom Magazine in June 2010, to address a very crucial question for stepfamilies: to what degree is the stepparent a parent? You will find that the answer depends on the family. Research shows that there are well-adjusted stepfamilies on both sides of the spectrum regarding this [...]

Another “Ask the Expert” Day will be sponsored by Stepmom Magazine this Thursday, July 29.  I’ll be on the expert panel along with a number of other top professionals in the field of stepfamily relations.  The last “Ask the Experts” Day was tremendously successful, and we received so many comments and “thank you’s” from stepmoms, [...]

Badmouthing = critical, spiteful remarks about you to your stepchildren or your spouse.
If you are on the receiving end of this practice by your husband’s ex, or by your ex, you know the feeling all too well.  Anger, frustration, helplessness – you are not there to defend yourself against comments that aren’t true.  And if [...]