Accepting the Type of Mother I Am

There aren't many examples of stepmoms in the media and there aren't many conversations about stepmoms in general. Growing up, I knew what it was like to have a stepmom, but not what it meant to be one. A quick google search will reveal there are many types of stepmoms and they all have differing …

Fighting Insecurity: My Dirty Little Secret

Here's the truth: since becoming a stepmom I've experienced a rather sneaky, nagging state of insecurity. I mean, imagine realizing (slowly, at first) that, despite your hardest efforts, your intrinsic value within society is infinitely lower than almost any other adult that comes into contact with your stepchildren. Imagine feeling like you have to fight …

Different House, Different Rules (and how we deal)

It's a transition day and we've found out that my stepson has broken one of our rules - on our days he gets a packed lunch, which he is expected to eat, but on mom's days he has permission to buy 'hot lunches' from the cafeteria. Naturally, he's found a loophole: he can throw away …

Five Things to Do After a Bad Week

Hey girl, it happens. Maybe your kids had more attitude, maybe you had less patience or maybe life happened and you just weren't on your A game. We've all been there (I was there last week). The problem? It is entirely too easy to beat ourselves up for a less-than-perfect parenting moment (or twelve). It's in …