Some weeks seem really long and hard. Have you had one of those weeks lately?

I have. But the beauty of it was what God taught me on a particularly hard day. I heard it loud and clear: “Focus on what you do right, not what you do wrong. Focus on who you are, not who you aren’t.”

As stepparents, it’s easy to consider what we do wrong and how we’re messing up our step-relationships because of our behavior. But the reality is, we do a lot of things right too.

Successful stepparenting happens when we believe in who we are and our ability to be a positive influence for our stepchildren. As a stepparent, you play a valuable role in the life of your stepchild – even when your actions aren’t perfect. God uses imperfect stepparents every day to make a difference.

As we move into the holiday season, Heather Hetchler of CafeSmom, and I will be posting tips to help you through your stepfamily holidays. Look for a new post Mon, Wed, and Friday and share them with others.

Some are included in the e-book Heather and I co-cauthored, Unwrapping the Gift of Stepfamily Peace, and some are not. If you haven’t taken a peek at our ebook, you can find it on Amazon for only $2.99.

Holiday tip: Embrace who you are and focus on the positive influence you make in your stepchild’s life.  You can thrive this holiday season, not just survive.

I hope you’ll join us regularly as we help you find meaning and joy this holiday season.  Read Heather’s most recent holiday tip: Getting Organized for the Holidays.

Do you have a favorite holiday tip? I’d love to hear it!