Hey everyone! I’ve written a guest blog for Bonus Families entitled Keeping the Peace (Our Strategies for Co-Parenting with Bio-Mom) Please click on the link above to view it, or head to: https://bonusfamilies.com/guest-blog-celeste-thefamilyturf/ Thanks so much! Celeste

So here it is, the inevitable Mothers’ Day post from a Stepmom.
First, let me drop a truth bomb about Mothers’ day from a Stepmom’s perspective…

Oh December, the month of Christmas cookies, egg nog, mistletoe, conflicting schedules with your Partner’s Ex, unhappy Step-Kids, fah-la-la’s, and… wait. What?

As lovely as many aspects of December are, the holidays are a stressful time for Stepfamilies.

Following a divorce, it may feel like you’re the only one getting the raw deal, but everyone loses out.

A parent loses experiencing at least part of their child’s life.

A child (or teen) loses the security of living in 1 home with everyone they love.

A stepparent loses the experience of being a 1st time parent with their spouse.

All of these are valid losses, and all of them have their struggles.

Ever as a Single Parent thought ‘Am I ready to start dating?’

Or been dating someone with kids and thought ‘…Wait, am I ready to be a Stepparent?’

Good.

Stepmoms are awesome! But being a Stepmom can be thankless and difficult.

Check out this infographic for great tips on how to survive and thrive as a Stepmom.

It’s important to be prepared for the times when things aren’t perfect.

These problems are very inclusive, and can apply to any combination of non-traditional families!

I could have made this article listing all of the statistics that we as stepparents we’ve already glanced over.

I could tell you the percentage of children who will live in a stepfamily before they’re 18, and the number of years a second marriage usually lasts.

I could tell you the worst thing about having stepchildren, and try to scare you into reading it.

But how does that truly help your current situation?