The Stepmom Side Podcast

Are you constantly wondering why your blended family doesn't feel like the happy, picture-perfect family you imagined? You're not doing anything wrong. In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia shares why so many stepmoms struggle because they're chasing unrealistic expectations about what blended family life should look like. From instant love and immediate connection to...

Feeling unsupported by your husband or partner can make blended family life feel incredibly lonely. In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia talks about why partner support is one of the biggest predictors of stepmom satisfaction and blended family success . Many stepmoms don't necessarily need perfection from their partners. They need partnership. They need to feel heard, valued,...

Do you feel resentful as a stepmom and then immediately guilty for feeling that way? You're not alone. In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia dives into one of the most common but least talked about experiences in blended families: stepmom resentment . The truth is, resentment usually isn't about the kids. It's often the result of carrying too much emotional responsibil...

Feeling like an outsider in your own home as a stepmom? You're not alone. In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia explores why so many stepmoms struggle with belonging in blended families. She shares why outsider syndrome happens, the common traps stepmoms fall into, and practical ways to stop trying to earn your place and start feeling more secure in your role. Key takeaways: Why...

Do you ever feel like you're constantly trying to prove yourself as a stepmom? If only you could just be more patient, more understanding, more involved, or more helpful, then maybe you'd finally feel accepted in your blended family? In this episode, Alicia dives into a struggle many stepmoms silently carry: the belief that they have to earn their place in their own home. Whether you&apo...

What should a stepmom do when her stepkids are disrespectful? Few things trigger a stepmom faster than being ignored, talked back to, rolled eyes at, or treated like she doesn't matter. When you're already questioning your role in the family, disrespect from a stepchild can feel deeply personal—and it can quickly create resentment, frustration, and conflict in your marriage. In this epis...

Does setting boundaries make you immediately feel guilty? Do you finally decide to say no, ask for space, or stop carrying everyone else's emotions… and then immediately wonder if you're being selfish? You're not alone. In this episode, Alicia is diving into why boundaries can feel so uncomfortable—especially for stepmoms who are used to people pleasing, over-functioning, and carryi...

Are you constantly chasing peace in your blended family… but secretly defining peace as “everything going perfectly”? In this episode, Alicia dives into one of the biggest mindset traps high-achieving stepmoms fall into: believing that peace and perfection are the same thing . From overthinking conversations to trying to control transition days, co-parenting dynamics, schedules, emotions, and ever...

Summer break sounds fun… until your house turns into chaos, the routines disappear, and you feel like you’re running a summer camp you never signed up for. In this episode, Alicia breaks down how stepmoms can create structure, maintain control, and protect their sanity during summer break—without turning into the “strict” or overwhelmed one in the house. If you’re already dreading the lack of rout...

Alicia dives into one of the most confusing and emotionally triggering experiences for stepmoms: why stepchildren suddenly act distant, avoidant, or completely different when their other parent is around. If you’ve ever felt ignored at pickup, brushed off in public, or like your relationship disappears the moment their other parent enters the picture… you are not imagining it. And more importantly...

Stepmother’s Day—did you even know it existed? In this episode of, Alicia dives into the emotional complexity of Stepmother’s Day—a holiday created in 2000 a nine year old to honor her stepmom. While the intention behind the day is meaningful, the reality for many stepmoms is… complicated. Alicia unpacks the mixed emotions stepmoms experience around Stepmother’s Day and challenges stepmoms to reth...

Mother’s Day can be one of the most confusing—and painful—holidays for stepmoms. You show up. You support your partner. You help raise kids who aren’t biologically yours. You carry emotional labor, household responsibilities, and the invisible weight of stepfamily dynamics… …and then Mother’s Day rolls around and you feel completely overlooked. In this episode, Alicia dives into the emotional real...

In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia is joined by Monica Tanner to talk about how to reignite connection and intimacy in blended families, why stepfamily myths can damage marriages, and what couples can do to create a stronger, healthier relationship. They dive into one of the most controversial but important ideas in blended family life: why the couple relationship has to be the pr...

Trigger warning: miscarriage  Infertility is hard. Being a stepmom is hard. Put the two together? Yeah… it’s a whole different level that no one really prepares you for. In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast , Alicia sits down with Kristen Skiles to have an honest, emotional, and empowering conversation about infertility as a stepmom—including the heartbreak of a failed IUI cycle. They dive...

In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia talks with Sol Kennedy, founder of the Best Interest co-parenting app, about high-conflict co-parenting, family court, co-parent communication, and how AI can help parents reduce conflict. Sol shares how his own divorce and co-parenting experience led him to create an app that acts like a buffer between toxic messages and reactive responses. They...

In this episode, Alicia explores why stepmoms often feel like the least supported person in their own home. She breaks down the emotional and mental load stepmoms carry, the role of over-functioning, and how relationship dynamics with partners can unintentionally reinforce feelings of isolation. Stepmoms will gain insight into why this pattern happens and learn actionable strategies for communicat...

In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia wraps up the Role Clarity Series by exploring what happens when expectations in blended families exceed a stepmom’s emotional and mental capacity.  Many stepmoms feel pressure to overextend themselves in order to keep the peace, avoid conflict, or prove they are a “good” stepmom. This episode helps listeners identify expectations they may be carr...

Alicia continues the Role Clarity Series by discussing how stepmoms can communicate their role to their partner without creating conflict or defensiveness. Many stepmoms struggle to speak up about their needs because they fear being seen as difficult or causing tension in their relationship.  This episode explores the emotional fears that keep stepmoms silent and offers a simple conversation frame...

Alicia helps stepmoms define their role intentionally instead of defaulting into expectations placed on them in blended families. Many stepmoms feel confused about where they fit and end up over-giving to keep the peace.  This episode guides listeners through clarifying their role, understanding the emotional cost of self-erasure, and choosing a way of showing up that fits their values and capacit...

Alicia explores why stepmoms feel exhausted when they carry responsibility without real authority in blended families. Many stepmoms take on emotional and logistical labor without having equal decision-making power, which leads to burnout and resentment.  This episode helps stepmoms identify where they are over-functioning, name the grief that often goes unspoken, and take one small step toward a...

In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia teaches stepmoms how to create a personal Trigger Protocol to handle emotionally charged moments without spiraling or snapping.  If you often react in the heat of the moment and then regret what you said or did, this episode gives you a simple, practical plan you can use when your nervous system is activated. You’ll learn how to choose a pause ph...

If you’ve ever said, “I understand why this happened, so I shouldn’t still feel upset,” this episode is for you. Alicia explores why so many stepmoms intellectualize their emotions instead of processing them — and how that pattern quietly leads to resentment, burnout, and emotional shutdown. Stepmoms are often praised for being mature, understanding, and “handling things well,” but that praise can...

Have you ever handled a stepfamily moment calmly, maturely, and with impressive emotional intelligence — only to completely unravel hours later? Alicia breaks down the difference between your thinking self and your nervous system , and why logic isn’t enough to regulate emotional reactions in blended family life. This episode is especially for high-functioning, Type A stepmoms who pride themselves...

You’ve done the work. You’re self-aware. You can explain everyone’s behavior in the situation… So why do you still feel triggered, exhausted, or quietly resentful? In this episode, Alicia breaks down why insight alone doesn’t calm a dysregulated nervous system — and why high-functioning, emotionally intelligent stepmoms often struggle more , not less. This conversation is for the stepmom who: unde...

If you’re a Type A, high-achieving woman who suddenly felt like she lost her footing after becoming a stepmom — this episode is for you. In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast , Alicia speaks directly to driven, control-loving, people-pleasing women who were thriving before blended family life… and now feel anxious, resentful, burned out, or completely out of control. Alicia breaks down the c...