by Gayla | Feb 19, 2013 | attitude, Blog, boundaries, co-parenting, conflict, loyalty conflict, successful stepparenting
I’m addressing a question today I received from a reader. How do you cope as a stepmom when you’re dealing with a biological mom who is belittling to you and doesn’t want you in her children’s lives? The stepmom role becomes harder when the bio...
by Gayla | Dec 18, 2012 | Balance, Blog, stepfamily holiday tips, stepparenting choices, successful stepparenting
Have you purchased our holiday e-book yet? Here’s a portion from Chapter 2 that I wrote: “It’s easy to create narcissistic children who feel entitled to receive every gift they ask for when we give them too much. It’s an unhealthy practice and,...
by Gayla | Jun 14, 2012 | Blog, hope, love, patience, perseverance, rewards of stepparenting, successful stepparenting
My husband, Randy, and I will celebrate 17 years of marriage this year. My youngest daughter, Jodi (pictured) was 2 1/2 years old when we married. I had no idea what an influence my husband would be with Jodi. Jodi bonded easily with Randy from the beginning....
by Gayla | May 23, 2012 | acceptance, Blog, loyalty conflict, stepfamily relationships, successful stepparenting
In working with stepparents recently, I’ve noticed a common thread that spells disaster in the early years of stepfamily development: the tendency for the stepparent to play a strong disciplinary role instead of allowing the biological parent to be the primary...
by Gayla | May 2, 2012 | attitude, Blog, love, stepmother role, successful stepparenting
As I continue my stepmom stories from our Stepping with Purpose e-book, I’m including one today from Laura Petherbridge, co-author of The Smart Stepmom. I think you’ll find her story encouraging. “If I’m being totally honest there were times in...
