This blog documents all the craziness that comes from being a step parent! The stories, the tears, the laughter and all of the love.
Stepmoms often find themselves saying, "I wish my partner understood..." and it's valid! This life is challenging, and it requires an understanding partner.
Being a good stepmom also means being involved with your children's biological mom. Here are 8 Truths Stepmom's wish bio mom's understood.
Why getting protein from plants is no problem at all, in the simplest terms.
Well good morning! So I've taken a small hiatus from the blog and social media this weekend. Super busy, super long weekend. Saturday I ran into some posts on Facebook calling me a child abuser (obviously the people posting this are of no importance and a family of drug addicts). Ashley no longer identifies Mike as "daddy". She calls him daddy Mike because mom has a boyfriend she calls daddy. Mom sees no problem with this identification and clearly shows no respect for Mike has the father. As a matter of fact she's more concerned with me commenting on her extremely revealing and inappropriate low cut tank tops than her child. Also Ashley had a nice little cold this weekend I thankfully god rid of for the most part by Sunday. I'm sure her smoke filled environment during the week will launch that back into full blown within a day. There's apparently a size confusion of some sort because Ashley's in a 2T and keeps getting sent in 18 month old clothes that clearly don't fit regardless of he numerous amounts of clothes we've sent home with her. This weekend was terrible. Terrible weekend. Being a step mom right NOW is terrible. On a great note me and Brianna's mom continue to flourish our relationship! I love that at least one of my step children has a mom and step dad we can talk to and communicate with and not have a problem. THATS what's best for the children. Grown ups that can get along and not make the child feel like they have to choose. Not to mention Brianna's very well taken care of we never ever have to worry about her. I'm just really sick of having to be labeled his evil step mom when all we ever want is to have the kids have the most normal life they can have with the blended families. Is that too much to ask for? To realize he's married and he's happy and he wants to be a good daddy? Why destroy your child just to destroy another adult? Because at the end of the day Mike isn't the one contracting COPD. Put your children above your own selfish wants, your relationships, your addictions and raise your child. Just don't act surprised when court papers arrive and you don't understand why. Y'all have a blessed Monday and let's hope this week gets better!! Kristen
I'm pretty candid when I talk about the my experiences as a stepmom. I pride myself on being raw and real about the trials and tribulations that come with this role, all while keeping a positive attitude.
Step parenting can be hard so these inspiring quotes about stepmom life will help you stay sane and be proud of your bonus mom status!
Just for clarification before you start reading this, whoever you are :) , these are my thoughts, opinions and theories. I wasn't sure if I was going to talk about the hard situations my family is facing right now but holding back from my blog would be bottling something up, silencing my voice and letting negativity win. This is my blog, my space and I have decided that I will be expressing every emotion that comes along on my journey. Enjoy, or don't...? First, I chose this. I am not biologically programed to love your child, I choose to. I think it takes a special person to be a step parent. Being a product of a step-parent lifestyle I can say that I respect and love mine with all my heart. My only wish, is that everyone wanted to be involved. It's such a foreign concept to me that I'm now in a situation that has four loving adults (two bios, two steps) and one part of the equation is trying to sever the ties. I can't believe that would ever be in the best interest of a child. "If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. … We need not wait to see what others do." ~ Mohandas Gandhi The bumper sticker quote we've all come to know and love was shortened to "be the change you want to see in the world" but I believe this has a deeper meaning. I will not wait for someone else to change. I will not be vindictive or malicious. I will continue to be funny, goofy, loving me and continue to do what is best for the children. However, support for blended homes is crucial. Did you know that about 65% of remarriages involve children from the prior marriage and form blended families? We are not alone and we are certainly not unique in the tumultuous relationship between all adults involved. But, I can't help but wonder why. We're all here for the same goal, so what's the benefit in all of this resistance and maliciousness? Everyone loses in this situation, but the ones who lose the most are the kids. I will be a role model. I will always be gracious and caring. I love them regardless. I believe that children will grow up acting the way you act and while the mirror is harsh in the bright morning light, sometimes it's necessary. I believe that how I act, will be how they act... and even though these children aren't mine biologically I will always be someone they can look to, come to and be a positive person in their life. I can only hope that all involved will act the same. There's the age old saying we heard from our mothers and grandmothers engrained into my mind "Treat others how you want to be treated". Religious beliefs aside, this one just makes sense. One day these children will grow up and might find them selves in a similar situation to the one we find ourselves in now. How would you like their story to turn out. Sure, it's easy to say this would never happen to them, but there's no way to know. In the spirit of new beginnings and a new year, let's start over. Hello, my name is Annalee Ladd. I am 30 yrs old with a Bachelors in International Affairs with a minor in Government. I am married to D. Ladd. I enjoy shopping, cooking, going to movies, DIY crafting, reading books (YA are a guilty pleasure, but some of my favorites are The Help and Memoirs of a Geisha) hanging out with friends, blogging and of course, all things Pinterest. I have been a responsible, productive member of society with a job since I was 15. I have worked for everything I have. I believe in God. I am a normal person and if it weren't for my relationship status, I'm pretty sure you would like me. I will be in your child's life for the duration and will continue to hold out hope for a cooperative and positive relationship with you. I want nothing more than for the ladies to know all parents love, respect and want the best for them. I believe if you choose it, we can all work together to make them the best they can be. It will take all of us working towards a common goal. Negativity does nothing but poison all relationships involved. I did a lot of thinking, reflecting and researching before I wrote this. Heck, I wrote about 7 drafts and have been keeping it for about two weeks. I have never been a quiet person, but I have never found myself in this position before. I finally decided it was time to say something after reading this. I will not bullied by what others think of me but I will rise above. You don't know me, but if you took the time to you would see how great I am. I live a normal life with my loving husband. I am neither lazy nor am I selfish. I am a great person and I am a darn good step-mom. That's just me being frank. Until next time...
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Good morning! So after this long, LONG weekend I'm feeling a certain type of way as a stepmom. People honestly don't tell you the truth about being a step mom and then it's this huge surprise when you become one and it's not all fairy dust and unicorn kisses. My sister in law was the most honest about it and told me directly that it's probably going to suck most of the time. Not because of the kids, or the husband, but it's going to be the co-parenting. Lord have mercy was she right. Again let me preface with we co-parent very well with Brianna's mom and step dad Corey. Not that we didn't have any bumps in the road ever, trust me we had our disagreements and arguments BUT the point is we were able to be adults and work it out. Because at the end of the day it really is all about the kid, that's not just a cute meme people post on Facebook. Brianna is our only child who knows who her family is, what role they play and that she can feel comfortable loving all of us in her own way. She doesn't ever have to pick who she wants to be around. Unfortunately our other two children don't have it that easily. Let me start by saying this post is about being a step mom and having absolutely no say whatsoever with the child. Seriously. I'm not joking. I can raise that tiny little human being any way I want, in MY home. When she goes to another home, I have on say there. I can only hope they take our advice and really do what's best for her. Again, unfortunately that isn't happening. Ashley showed up with a yeast infection for the second week in a row. Again by Sunday we had it cleared up to ship her back to no mans land (because honestly we have no idea where she lives, crazy right?). In hopes that she comes back without this gnarly yeast infection next week I've found myself SO ANNOYED. Mainly because I can't take care of her during the week like I feel she should be. This is where the little voices in your head scream "YOU'RE NOT HER MOM". seriously though, I'm not. and that SUCKS. Especially because of the environment she's in during the week. I can't scream at her other family, I can't send text messages of concern, I can't even be Facebook friends. It's such a hard thing that nobody tells you about regarding being the STEP MOM and not the REAL mom. Trust me, that gets thrown in your face at least half a dozen times before the sting goes away. Co parenting with someone who doesn't even want to parent is the hardest thing to live with. You get attached to these tiny humans and you want the best for them. Here's the end of this insane rant so I can move on with my week, step parenting is TOUGH and anyone who tells you it's all roses and love notes is lying to you. Right to your face. Step parenting is probably the hardest thing you will ever do, whether the child lives with you most of the time or not. Because at the end of the day you aren't a biological parent. As much as you may have control in your house you don't have control in the child's other home. Just remember your love isn't being diminished because you're a step parent. A step parents love is so amazing because they chose to love when they didn't have to. Have a blessed week guys! Kristen
Take action to make your stepfamily life better one step at a time by participating in a 21-day stepmom boot camp. Through research and practice, Elizabeth Mosaidis has designed a
Just like bearing children, choosing to become a step-parent is a tremendous act of love. But while many biological parents end up having kids in a, ahem,
Step parenting can be hard so these inspiring quotes about stepmom life will help you stay sane and be proud of your bonus mom status!
Take a look at some of the sweetest BONUS MOM QUOTES to show her you love and appreciate her on Mother's Day, Christmas or her birthday.
Hey guys! So this is kind of a random post but the other day I had a headache and took Excedrin late and then I couldn't sleep so obviously that made me just sit up at night thinking about life. ha. #typical. Anyway so I was thinking about this text message Ashley's mom sent me the other day that started like "Hey girl!" and it was following a phone call she had made earlier that day about Ashley's antibiotics or something. It really made me appreciate that relationship that I have with her. It wasn't always like that but it's definitely working towards it and I really have to appreciate that. The struggle is real. Ashley was four months old when I started dating Michael so I can imagine the tough transition Tammy went through. Eventually she came to realize that I was a fantastic step mom and loved Ashley as much as she did and that's ultimately what matters. Even through this entire Leigha situation she went to court with mike and established custody (which is joint custody) and it went into court and they signed a parenting plan for holidays, emergency contacts and every weekend mike will have her. NOW THAT'S CO PARENTING! I'm so proud of the relationships I've formed with Brianna and Ashley's mom and I think it says a lot. We actually went to dinner the other night with the girls and Becky and Corey to the melting pot which was INCREDIBLE. It was so nice to sit down and have a couples night with the kids and relax. I love having those relationships where nobody's mad or hostile. The girls would totally think that's super weird if we ever got into an argument or were mad at each other. Me and Becky have been having numerous conversations regarding briannas school and it's been made very clear that Becky wants ALL OF BRIANNAS PARENTS to be involved in any decisions being made regarding her education. That's how it should be, people tend to think that because a marriage or relationship didn't work out that there then has to be hostility. There doesn't! That's amazing that people want to be mad all the time. The biggest problem I have is when women cannot accept the fact that the man has moved on. I met mike in April of 2014, we were engaged in February of 2015 (which triggered a huge melt down from someone) and we were married in October of 2015. That's a pretty significant thing to marry someone, I feel like that's a billboard shout out that he's moved on. Clinging to something that isn't there shows mental instability and a refusal to move on. At some point there has to be a move on, you have to accept that there is no longer a relationship there and just have a working relationship with that parent. Using spite and a child to get back at someone for moving on after a traumatizing relationship really doesn't hurt anyone except for the child. Manipulation, mental abuse, emotional abuse is not a way to get someone back. Especially when a child is involved. I have fantastic working relationships with these two women and I couldn't be more appreciative of that. We communicate, we engage, we love these kids. As a matter of fact they're more likely to text me than mike because I'm the mom at my house and it's way easier to talk to a woman! Which is totally fine with Mike, he fully enjoys the fact that it's a proven fact that I have two other relationships so clearly the problem isn't ME. I just want all of you step moms and dads to know that we can all be adults, it's not difficult. Just remember when someone loves your child as much as you do, that's the step parent you want in your childs life. Because it's all about loving the child and making sure they succeed in life. When a relationship ends, move on. Don't use the child out of spite. Form a relationship with the new wife, girlfriend whatever. It's so much easier to be a family than not. Keep that in mind for this weekend coming up and when you all do your exchanges just make that extra effort to be insanely nice and really try to bond with that other parent. Have a great day guys! Kristen
Are you exhausted? Overwhelmed? Ticked off? Have you reached a breaking point with this same old exhausted stepmom routine? I have good news!
What is it really like being a step mom? It's more complicated than you think! These step mom quotes shed light on the wonderful and complex role a woman plays when she creates a blended family.
Step parenting can be hard so these inspiring quotes about stepmom life will help you stay sane and be proud of your bonus mom status!
This stepmom blog features articles and information from StepMom Magazine. See you'll get when you subscribe to this online monthly magazine!
Real life lessons that have come directly from trying to figure out the ins and outs of this steparenting gig.
Good morning again guys! I've done a little research recently about the struggles of co-parenting and how it can emotionally affect children even in the most ideal of circumstances. Co-parenting requires both parents to ultimately parent alone while also including the other parent in major decisions (if that parent is involved fully). SO if you're parenting in a healthy way and the other parent is not, that causes emotional issues for the children. Lets say you purchase something for your child and the other parent returns it to the store for money. Probably not the healthiest parenting decision. Or if you buy your child something and the other parent is very expressive about your wife or husband and doesn't like that the gift came from both of you and proceeds to throw the gift away. That's a fantastic example of unfit parenting. Co-Parenting requires open communication and empathy for it to work, if you can't do that then you have no business trying to parent at all. There are two ways to problem solve when you're co-parenting without damaging the child, one of those is strategic problem solving. This requires both parents to exchange through communication needs of the child while also sharing concerns they may have about a situation. Then you problem solve through it to find a healthy solution to fix the problem at hand. This obviously involves open communication about the child whether it's medically or educationally. Whatever may be happening you have to communicate it. As a matter of fact the other day me and my oldest stepdaughters mother had a nice facetime conversation. We went over what some strengths and weaknesses are and then problem solved how to make this situation better for our child. That's the entire point of our lives, to make our daughters life better. Sometimes she opens up to one mom and not the other, and that's TOTALLY fine. it's ENCOURAGED because that way we can solve the situation so our child is more loved and more confident in herself. All it took was a text asking for a facetime and a thirty minute facetime chat. No yelling, no screaming, no blame. Just a genuine conversation about how to fix how the child was feeling. Isn't that great! There's also social-psychological problem solving which involves a bit more emotion. This looks at your attitude towards the situation and the blind spots in co-parenting. This really looks at why you're having problems co-parenting and negotiating circumstances. An example would be at one point in my step daughters life her mother wanted holidays she wasn't entitled to. I gave her the first holiday and she ruined it. She basically kidnapped her and refused to bring her home,therefore we needed to go pick her up. That should have been followed with a social-psychological conversation about why there was a blind spot there and why she felt entitled to do whatever she wanted with the child. Legal or not, a conversation like this should have been had. So here are some ways you can ensure proper co-parenting happens in a healthy way and the children aren't used as pawns in a narcissists game. 1. Commit to making a healthy co-parenting communication. Whether this is through facetime (which is great!) or email, texting or even face to face communication. Share information regarding the childs medical,educational, athletic or social life. What's going on, what are they struggling with, what are their strengths and weaknesses, do they have any athletic or social events coming up. Anything that could be discussed this needs to be made into a pact. Because without communication there is absolutely no co-parenting. There can be no secrets being kept, you cannot tell your child to "not tell daddy or mommy" because having your child keep secrets from the other parent opens pandoras box to extreme danger. don't do this! 2. Rules regarding the child need to be consistent in both households. There's a lot of times where the rules aren't consistent and the child is confused and emotionally abused because there's rules at one house where you don't have to brush your teeth and you can eat gummy worms for dinner and enjoy your six cavities. Then there's rules where the child really needs to take care of their dental health and brush twice a day. That's a weird example but things like that really need to be together and agreed upon. Homework should be done at both homes. There was a situation where one of my step daughters was going through some behavioral things and I would inform the other parent about it and she refused to acknowledge it. She would encourage the behavior and that's just not healthy for anyone involved. 3. Commit to positive talk around the house. This means stop bad mouthing the other parent and parents spouse. We've really tried to make a point in our house to let our children know we WANT to hear about your time with the other parent. I always ask ashley "how was your week with mommy?" and when she's leaving i say "be a good girl for grammy and mommy and hank!". We've been in situations where the other parent continously bad mouthed me. I actually have a video of Leigha telling me that "mommy called you a bitch and a liar" which happened to be the second time she had said that. The first time was in the car with me and my husband and she said "mommy made me said. she said kristen was a bitch". that was a terrible thing to have to explain to Leigha and make sure she was emotionally okay (we have a video of this child being upset so don't think i'm just making this up). 4. Keep everyone informed. This one should be common sense but you'd be surprised. We actually have a court order with one of the children regarding changes of address and such. We gave written notice when we moved to the other parent and the other address we moved to. Just so the parent is involved and knowing where the child is living every weekend. Parents should know who their children are around (this is also obvious but you'd be surprised) and who they're living with. I run background checks like a champ, I'll find out stuff you didn't even know about your significant other. Your child should never be the primary source of information. These scenarios should help out any situation you find yourself in regarding co-parenting. Always keep in mind that the child is the first priority and the highest priority. I have such great relationships with two of my step childrens moms because we fostered that relationship. We have open communication, were like an extended family. Because then the children don't feel like they have to lie and hide for their parents. Because that's ridiculous, that shouldn't even be an option. We never have to worry about what the child may say to the other parent because we never say anything that needs to be hidden. Always always always remember these children did NOT choose this situation. So make it the best possible situation you can :) As always feel free to send me an email with any questions or concerns or just to talk to a fellow step parent! Have a great day guys! Kristen
2 out of 3 second marriages will end in divorce, and I refuse to be part of that statistic! I'm sharing the 4 C's to successfully stepcouple and help your marriage survive in spite of daunting statistics.
This is the go-to book for any woman who wants to succeed as a stepmother. Get tips on blending two families into a cohesive unit.
Good afternoon fellow parents! This is a pretty interesting post and a little informational and I hope it helps some parents out there dealing with children who have been diagnosed specifically with ODD, oppositional defiance disorder. A friend of mine has always been really helpful regarding Leigha and her behavior and actually pin pointed her diagnoses about a year before she was formally diagnosed by a neurologist. Leigha is currently in Kindergarten and I mean not to toot my own horn but I raised a pretty smart kid haha. She's brilliant. You can tell her focus is elsewhere because she used to be really anal about coloring in the lines, now she's so far ahead of the other kids she's legit just bored constantly. So at the last parent teacher conference we brought up the idea of maybe pushing her up a grade because she's all over the place because she's bored. It was kind of shot down and we genuinely felt like we were being shoved aside and so was our child. So upon suggestion from my friend we took into consideration writing the school a letter requesting a meeting regarding a child study team and an IEP. We haven't made any moves on this yet because we always seem to be backed against the wall when we bring up concerns for her. This same meeting we were lied right to our faces about her behavior so you can see why were a little anxious about everything. In leighas best interest she should be having a child study team put together an IEP and if she can test out of this grade and be challenged a little bit. To be clear IEP stands for individualized education program that really focuses on Leigha and her needs which ultimately is what's best for her. Children diagnosed with ODD can also become violent and anyone who knows Leigha knows the history of her self harm. If this type of behavior comes out in school this could cause a suspension, if an IEP is performed and put together by a team then it prevents suspensions from happening because she's covered by this IEP. again, what's best for Leigha. There was a lot of things we tried to monitor at OUR home as well. We kept a very strict schedule which is CRITICAL for children with ODD. We were very structured with her and she heavily relied on that. If we threw a wrench into her schedule it set her off, she wasn't always aware of why things set her off, she just couldn't help it. It may have looked like I was being crazy but again, the best interest of Leigha even if that required more effort from me. It was more about routines than rules. We played in the morning before school, ate breakfast, went to school, went home, ate dinner, bath time and bed time. When she got home from school she did her workbook pages and played in her room or with her leap frog learner. She really relied on that sort of schedule. When she didn't have that she went INSANE. So basically the point is, if you're a parent and you have a child diagnosed with this disorder you have the right to have a meeting with your childs school about a child study team and IEP. Unfortunately Leigha's school has been less than accommodating to myself and her father regardless of our genuine concern for her and her education. But at the end of the day you have to fight for your child and really do what's best for them. Eventually there will be a day when our energy is realized and hopefully this child is taken care of in all aspects of life. Brianna also has ADD but her mother is phenomenal is always on top of every possible thing to make her life easier. There's never really any reason to get involved with briannas school, her mother sends screen shots of her grades, invites us to parent teacher conferences, lets us know every move she makes. But I guess that's what happens when you're a good mom ;) I hope some of this helps with anyone dealing with early education and an IEP and hopefully you can get the help you guys need! Any questions feel free to email mail or +1 my post and we can chat, I have loads of resources! Have a great Thursday! Kristen
By combining my experience as a child of divorce with my perspective as a stepmom, I'll help you better understand and empathize with your stepchild.
Long time no blog! life has been INSANE. This step mama is EXHAUSTED! so the past few months have just been a complete whirlwind of emotions and things happening that I never thought were actually legal to be honest. In June I went to court for custody of my step daughter leigha on behalf of my husband. This court date consisted of the Judge being so incredibly understanding and nice, and Leighas mom cussing on the record ... numerous times. Classy. Regardless custody wasn't changed because it wasn't filed correctly blah blah. We were due back in court with DCPP (formerly known as DYFS) on July 25th, which *dun dun dun* was cancelled *shocked face*. So we wait, and wait and wait and grow some gray hairs, celebrate whatever holidays happen in there, we moved you know the norm. We actually moved because leighas mom has a nasty habit of being mentally unstable and we no longer felt safe in our apartment so we moved to a gated community in another town. Needless to say I don't think she's getting past the gate guard, the cameras and the alarm system *phew*. Moving on, so were coming up on three months and guess what? NO court date! We did however get child support papers from leighas mom. Leighas mom paid ZERO money towards child support for FOUR YEARS of leighas life, nothing, nada. No medical benefits, no daycare money while my husband worked full time, no money towards the roof over her head, clothes on her back. Do you know who did pay for that? her Step mother! the evil step mother. I put my hard earned money to buying her things for her room, and christmas presents, and doctors appointments and field trips and plays at school. I did that. Anyway, so we have court on October 19th for child support while our other court date is still pending. SO I called today to find out yet again what the issue could be, I was told by the court clerk that the DAG (the attorney for DYFS) and DYFS could not agree on a court date. So were getting pushed back because the children can't agree on a day? Or don't want to agree on a day? So regardless the date is still not reset, we have child support court were hoping to get postponed. As far as Leigha herself is concerned, she's a hot mess. She's been diagnosed with ADHD and ODD and I'm personally throwing in Bipolar. Her emotions are everywhere, she's up and down emotionally, she's distraught all the time. She talks about me to Michael during a visit then immediately asks him in a terrified manner not to tell her mom that she talked about her. What's that about? Her mom also tried to make it so the school couldn't give out any information about Leigha to michael. Isn't that crazy? probably because leigha is a hot mess and the school documents it and has to tell Michael about it. We weren't aware of the first day of school or back to school night. Now that we have the online access we can track everything about Leigha. We know when she misses school, we know there was a child study team involved with her, we know when her doctors appointments are. She also left out that school pictures were Thursday so we got that information as well so we could purchase our own. It really just baffles me how out of control this situation is. Almost a year ago leigha was placed in a house that's infested with bed bugs, she currently lives with two felons and someone else with a criminal history, the house has no heat, she eats cinnamon toast crunch and has five cavities. She tells michael she didn't brush her teeth last night because she didn't eat dinner, she didn't eat dinner because she ate too many gummy worms. WHAT?! In what world does any of that make sense? So this is a little dip into my world the past few months, it's been surgeries, nonsense, christmas shopping, holidays, prepping for the upcoming holidays, working, and trying to keep my sanity in it's container. But I'm back and ready for my future blogs! So keep in touch and keep listening and reading for my future shenanigans!
Being a second wife and stepmom is difficult enough without the added pressure of self-told lies making it more complex! Avoid these lies second wives tell themselves and secure a more peaceful future.
Well Sunday afternoon has arrived! As I sit here After my Jesus loving time with my church family I realized disciplining my tiny little human being is EXHAUSTING. literally. I need a twelve hour nap and a Xanax. During church nursery this little girl as sweet as can be did not actually want to pick up the blocks. She wanted to kick them around and pretend she was half deaf and when she could hear she didn't understand English. I even tried mandarin. So as we get home and she goes down for a nap (thank you baby Jesus) I take some Tylenol and relax for the next two and a half hours. Upon our beautiful child waking up and eating her "wogurt" she decides she wants to color. My mom bought her these awesome markers you can draw on the glass with. So I take he caps off and she sits next to me to draw. Literally I look away for ten seconds and she has the bottom of her foot colored ... How are these tiny humans so quick? After half a dozen times of "don't color on yourself, don't color on the cats, don't color on the furniture" I realize a lesson is to be learned and reluctantly take the markers. I calmly explain to her she cannot color on anything but the glass and she folds her arms and mean mugs me. Like straight up stares me DOWN. Who needs the CIA? Put my toddler in a room and she'll make you WANT to tell the truth with her staring eyes. She decides she's annoyed with me and goes to sit on the stairs. The time out stairs. As if she's putting herself there because she knows it's inevitable if she stays in my vicinity! This crazy little girl takes her time out and is now running around tormenting the cats. In all reality I thank god everyday we got blessed with this little girl because she's nowhere near the handful her sisters have been! Sorry nan! She's relatively calm and cool collected with an even minded self. Her temper tantrums consist of making mean faces at me and not speaking to me for a designated amount of time. But let me tell you, repeating myself four times just to find out she cornered pita in the living room because she "wants pita to have a bath" makes me want to rip my hair out. But at the end of the day discipline will teach children there are consequences for their actions. They have to learn the world does not bow down to them and I have to remind myself I'm raising tiny human beings to be released in the world to not become serial killers. Preferably. When it gets hard and I feel like I'm failing I remember my kid isn't skinning squarrels and sacrificing them to Satan. Which is basically a win right? So my fellow parents, when you feel like you're failing as a parent just remember you created this kid and you're doing a hell of a job raising them because honestly it's HARD. So put yourself together and keep parenting and raising awesome tiny little human beings! Have a blessed Sunday guys!! Kristen
There's one thing all stepparents can agree on: we had no idea what we were signing up for. Along the way, you grow and learn valuable stepmom lessons.
Oh good afternoon my fellow step parents! It's come to my attention that my blog is reaching a lot of people! Including some people who aren't very satisfied with what I'm writing about. Well, go pound sand because I genuinely don't care! This blog is about fellow step parents and what were all going through as a group. My history with my step children are on here and while I don't enjoy bashing other parents it's an opportunity for other step parents to validate their feelings. While my situation is very unique in having three separate moms to have to deal with, I'm still a step mom. Other step parents have so many issues and are always so scared to talk about them. While were in and out of court I try to curb most information for court purposes but once this is all taken care of and done I can reveal more information. As for right now were scheduled for court tomorrow on December 1st for what's called a compliance review. Basically to make sure everyone is completing services they're supposed to complete and hopefully reunite my family and make that complete again. We did have parent teacher conferences with Leighas teacher which was really eye opening to a few situations. The great news is she's brilliant as we originally planned :) She's on a first grade reading level and excelling in every academic way. Looks like me turning her into a robot worked ;) You know the whole "don't rot your brain with TV and junk food" and getting Leigha her leap reader when she was younger, reading to her every night, doing site words with her. I guess "turning her into a robot" turned her into a brilliant little kid. Who woulda thought! Children who love to learn really need to be worked on, Leigha absolutely loved educational things. She looked forward to cleaning her room, she loved her books every night, she would come home from school and put her giant headphones on and get her leap reader out. Because that's what she LOVED. Especially with her ADHD that we pretty much controlled with her diet and educational activities. With Leigha having the ADHD she really needed to hone in on things she loved to do. I bought her a workbook and everynight she would work on coloring the upper case and lower case letters and staying in the lines. She would stay focused for HOURS. If she wasn't doing that she was eating dinner or in her room playing with her dress ups and kitchen set, or reading with her leap reader. Things like that use kids imaginations, they open their worlds to all kinds of things. Watching a child learn and encouraging them and giving them positive reinforcement really gives them so much self esteem. Leigha never came out to tell us she "hated herself" or her life. She really enjoyed everything we gave her and did for her. I potty trained her when she was not even three and right away she was fantastic, even over night. So at the end of the day I've had to climb every wall and fight every hostile person to be able to stand my ground as a step mom and help raise these wonderful children. All I can do is stick by my faith and pray that God knows exactly what's going to happen and he won't let myself or my husband sink. These children are amazing and can do incredible things in the future. Everything is in His hands, so let it happen :) have a great night guys! Kristen
The Best Quotes For Stepmoms
Step parenting can be hard so these inspiring quotes about stepmom life will help you stay sane and be proud of your bonus mom status!
