For me, Christmas has been a bit of a balancing act for many years. Children of divorce can appreciate the “okay, so I’ll spend Christmas Eve at Mom’s and on Christmas Day I’ll go to Dad’s, and then at noon on Boxing
Alicia Keys’ 2016 song Blended Family (What you do for love) includes the line “It may not be easy this blended family…but that’s what you do for love”. Blended families are increasingly common. With approximately 42% of marriages ending in divorce there
I love to laugh. Laughing is my favorite. And I’ve been told on more than one occasion that my laugh is quite recognizable for it’s volume and intensity ? So the day my husband said, “It’s good to hear that laugh again”, it
So, you’ve started dating a guy who has children with his ex. Evidently, you want your stepmum journey to be as plain sailing as possible, and this means attempting to get along with your stepchildren and even your partner’s ex. Now, when
If there is one thing that’s required in life, it’s having a good old giggle with friends and family. Laughing is fun, healthy, and it makes us happy. In the world of stepparenting, we can get so hung up on this complex
February is the month of love. For many women, it’s a time for our partners to shower us with gifts. And it’s a time for us to show our partners how much we love them. However, the perception is out there that
This is the time of year with plenty of gatherings for friends and family that create opportunities for fun and frivolity. A time to celebrate, share, give and receive. It’s joyous and magical. But for some, it shines a spot light on
Dear stepmom, You don’t get enough credit. After all, mixed family environments can be really tricky. There are a lot of components, emotions, and confusion at play, especially when there is divorce involved. So, although you are not my mother by birth,
Creating boundaries is important for self care…indeed, often times, your survival. Figuring out what you can control and what you can’t, and then basing our decisions and actions on that is a critical component of creating boundaries. Let’s be honest, we’d like
If you asked me a couple of years back what I thought about step-moms, I would have probably told you that they are a mystery. My parents separated when I was nine years old. At that moment I didn’t really understand what
Boundaries with the stepkids is part 4 of a series of articles by Erin Careless on the Stepmom’s Guide to Peace. Click here for Boundaries with the Stepfamily, Boundaries with the Man and Boundaries with ex-wife A lot of stepmoms go overboard trying to “win the
Boundaries with the ex-wife is part 3 of a series of articles by Erin Careless on the Stepmom’s Guide to Peace. Click here for Boundaries with the Stepfamily and Boundaries with the Man. This is a tricky one. Experiences with the
Boundaries with the man is part 2 of a series of articles by Erin Careless on The Stepmom’s Guide to Peace. Click here for Boundaries with the Stepfamily which is Part 1. I know what you’re thinking. People in love shouldn’t have boundaries!