Radical Stepmoms

Christina welcomes Elizabeth, to chat gaining primary custody, parallel parenting and when the ex lights the olive branch on fire. As a Behavioral Specialist, Elizabeth shares her wisdom in being able to respond to difficult behaviors from....everyone. Listen in!  This episode wraps up Season 5! We'll take a short break and Season 6 will start in a few weeks!  About My Guest:  My name is Elizabeth...

Christina welcomes Dr. Amy Baker to discuss parental alienation, what it is and best practices on how to navigate it. What does the research say about alienation and how to stay connected to the kids? How do grown kids reconcile with their alienated parent? Amy discusses her work and the books you can read now to help guide you through this difficult road. Listen In! About My Guest:  Dr. Baker has...

Christina is answering listener's questions in a rapid fire Q&A. Will she be getting a gift for BM this year? Is it normal to feel protective over your ours baby? Christina chats parallel parenting, when and if you stray from the parenting plan... BANANAS and more! Listen in!  So much more than a podcast!!!  Find me on the Gram @radicalstepmomspodcast  Want a little more support? Schedule a 1:1 se...

Christina chats with Ashley-Nichole who shares her experience of having multiple stepmoms and how it's shaped her role as a stepmom to her two bonus-daughters. They discuss holding the title of "stepmom" without a marriage certificate, finding her "place" in her home and what led her to writing a children's book, "Wicked Awesome Stepmother". Disney did us dirty, but Ashley-Nichole is confronting t...

Christina welcomes Ryan to discuss two topics that impact many stepmoms: step-parent alienation and trying to conceive. When the ex is committed to hating on the stepmom, what can you do? How do you respond when your stepkid says, "my mom doesn't like you?" Ryan also shares her story of trying for an ours baby. As a stepmom navigating fertility, Ryan gives her insights and words of validation and...

Christina chats with Anna, a child and family advocate, a conscious parenting coach and STEPMOM. Anna shares her story of meeting her partner and kids, how her background grounds her in the stepmom role and ways to thoughtfully connect with our stepkids. Anna also shares her beautiful engagement story and how taking on the title "stepmom" feels to her and her family. Listen in! About My Guest: I a...

Christina welcomes Julie Menanno, Marriage and Family Therapist and content creator of Instagram's The Secure Relationship. Our success in stepmotherhood begins with the relationships with our partners. In this episode, Julie discusses attachment styles and how we can notice and overcome our negative cycles. How can we communicate better with our partners? How can advocate for ourselves and hold s...

A re-release from Season 3 incase you missed this awesome chat with Dr. Michelle Logvinsky!  Christina chats with Dr. Michelle Logvinsky, a licensed clinical psychologist (AND stepmom) to unpack the terms "high-conflict" and "narcissism". Michelle discusses her profession and how it overlaps with your personal life, and the struggles stepmoms face when dealing with the traumas of a high-confl...

Christina is back for another Q&A AND offering her insights on a topic we HAVE to discuss as stepmoms. She answers how she introduces herself, are drop offs better at school or in person, how her family manages holidays and more! What's her hot take? Listen in!  So much more than a podcast!!!  Find me on the Gram @radicalstepmomspodcast  Want a little more support? Schedule a 1:1 session or become...

Christina welcomes back Jenny and Sam (S3:E33) to get an update on their full house of crazy and love. Jenny chats her many hats of being a mom, stepmom, adoptive mom, foster mom and wife. Sam shares his tips for preparing for court and how to maintain a happy and healthy relationship with your partner (grab your partner for this one!) Jenny and Sam are a power couple who knows the ups and downs o...

Christina chats with Jessica, a mom, stepmom and Behavior Analyst who shares her insights on how she uses acceptance and mindfulness to navigate negative behaviors. Whether it's kid behaviors, partner or the ex...how can we accept the situation and begin to make necessary changes? They also chat about Jessica’s experience being mom and stepmom, and how she defined what those roles would mean. How...

Christina answers questions submitted by YOU! In a rapid Q&A Christina give words of advice and a few pep talks. Later in the show she welcomes back her husband to help with a few questions! Get ready to feel validated, laugh and say “hell yea”. Listen in! Topics Discussed:  The difference between setting boundaries and leading with insecurity How she defined her role as a stepmom How to reclaim y...

Christina chats with Brandi, a stepmom who fell in love with a man who experienced great loss and stepped in to care for their children. At 26, she is raising two kids full-time and shares her story of finding balance, identifying her role and doing a lot of growing up, really quickly. Brandi chats insecurity, talking to the kids about their mother who's passed and how she finds time for romance....

Christina welcomes Lauren, a stepmom who knew from a young age she never wanted children. When she started dating her now husband, she was honest about what she wanted her stepmom role to look like. Lauren is a happily disengaged stepmom who shares how she supports her husband, how she decides when to step in, her relationship with her stepdaughter and her advice for those wanting to edit their ro...

Christina welcomes Madison, a stepmom whose special hobbies include: micromanaging, getting too involved, learning to step back and a whole bunch of WTF?! Can you relate? Madison shares her story of falling in love with "Dad of the Year", how she finds her role among 2 other Type A co-parents, being the house with consequences and oh-yes.... family therapy. What has drove Madison crazy and what ke...

Christina chats with Catherine, a seasoned stepmom who shares her story of becoming a young stepmom, giving it your all, learning the truth about the ex (this might surprise you), and how she eventually walked away. What feedback does she get from her step-kids 23 years later? What has she done differently now that she's remarried and a stepmom...again? Catherine keeps it real, shares her wisdom a...

Christina chats with Sam, a stepmom who became a fulltime stepmom after her stepdaughter's mom decided to move to another state. How has her role changed now that she's doing the "mom" thing 100%? How has she supported her stepdaughter through the transition? Sam shares the advantages, disadvantages, and some words of wisdom every stepmom needs to hear. Listen in! So much more than a podcast!!!  @...

Christina chats with Esmerelda, a fellow social worker stepmom who shares her story of leading by example. Esmerelda discusses how to notice when the ex is acting out of insecurity, how to not take things personally and how she manages her complicated in-law dynamics. Listen in as Esmerelda describes her radical way of being a stepmom! So much more than a podcast!!!  Instagram: @radicalstepmomspod...

Christina welcomes Sydney, a stepmom who is navigating the challenges of being long distance from her stepkids. How do you develop and maintain relationships? How do you plan trips and manage important events? Sydney also shares how the age gap with her partner impacts her stepmom role and relationship. They chat awkward moments with the ex, boundaries and more! Grab your beverage of choice and li...

Christina kicks off Season 5 with Michelle, a full-time stepmom who strives to help others with their mindset, self-development, health and wellness. Michelle shares her story, struggles and insight into her unique situation of raising her stepdaughter after the passing of her mother. How does your own childhood impact your role as a stepmom? How can you heal while also supporting your stepkids? L...

Christina wraps up Season 4 with Jenifer, a stepmom who was rushed into being a full-time stepmom during a pandemic. Jenifer shares her story of stepmotherhood, holding compassion for the ex, trying to conceive and the awkward pregnancy moments with the ex - yikes! They also share their MIL stories and the relationship between stepkiddo and ours babe. Listen in! Thanks for an awesome season and I...

Christina chats with Chelsea who shares how she supports and celebrates her gay stepson. After spending years trying to fine tune their up and down relationship Chelsea shares it's never been better. In a world that isn't always welcoming to the LGBTQ+ community, how does a parent show up for their kid when they need them most? Listen In!  Resources:  https://itgetsbetter.org/  https://pflag.org/f...

Have you ever asked yourself if you would choose stepmom life all over again? In this episode Christina chats with Cynthia, a radical stepmom who shares her story of becoming a stepmom AGAIN. After breaking off her engagement with her ex, Cynthia had to navigate the relationship with her stepkids and find her balance again. Who helped her? What did she learn? What is she doing differently as she h...

Christina chats with Melissa and Todd, high school friends who 20 years later reconnected through social media and are now living that blended life. Listen in as they share how they are managing a new marriage, a HCBM, parallel parenting, court and more!  So much more than a podcast!!! Instagram: @radicalstepmomspodcast Want to schedule a 1:1 session or become a Radical Member? Head to my website!...

Christina chats with Rachel about her blended family, zero to high conflict and how to find the humor amongst the WTF's?? Rachel and her ex-husband were able to co-parent and keep their issues out of the courtroom, but unfortunately Rachel couldn't avoid the conflict when she became a stepmom. How does Rachel manage her husband's ex? How does she battle the "how could she do that?" thoughts? What...