Tiny Pep Talks for Stepparents

Today I'm sharing some of the (many) misconceptions I had to stumble over as I slowwwwly shifted from a single parent perspective to a stepfamily mindset. Read the full transcript on Substack >> HELPFUL RESOURCES FOR PARTNERS: Stepcouplehood needs to be a partnership The 3 stages of blending your family How to Actually Blend: The Missing Instruction Manual for Stepcouples 6 things stepparents wish...

If you’re ready to shift out of reactive mode as a stepparent and recover your center, disengaging could be the first step in rediscovering what you want and need. GRAB YOUR FREE STEMOMCON25 TICKET! >> Read the full transcript on Substack >> -- ➡️ STRUGGLING? START HERE! 🧡 JOIN OUR SUPPORT COMMUNITY 🗣️  SHARE YOUR OWN STORY! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other s...

The more you know about the complexities of stepfam life, the more you’re setting yourself up for success. And, by extension, the rest of your blended family too. GRAB YOUR FREE TICKET TO STEPMOMCON 2025! >> Read the full transcript on Substack >> -- ➡️ STRUGGLING? START HERE! 🧡 JOIN OUR SUPPORT COMMUNITY 🗣️  SHARE YOUR OWN STORY! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with o...

Stepparenting compassion fatigue is what happens when your heart can literally no longer feel empathy because you’ve been so overexposed to never-ending stepfamily problems. If that's you, go grab my guide: 17 coping tips for managing overwhelming emotions and please know YOU ARE NOT ALONE. xo Read the full transcript on Substack >> -- ➡️ STRUGGLING? START HERE! 🧡 JOIN OUR SUPPORT COMMUNITY 🗣️  S...

Happy Stepfamily Day (Sep 16th) to all the incredible blended families out there that look nothing like the Brady Bunch. The Brady Bunch laid the groundwork for decades of unrealistic expectations about blended families. The real journey toward blended is so much more intimidating. Which doesn't mean we're failing at becoming a family; it’s just that our preconceptions about what "blended" really...

You do not need to be perfect to be a good stepparent. You’re certainly not responsible for living up to someone else’s unrealistic stepparenting expectations. Or your own unrealistic expectations! Read the full transcript on Substack >> -- ➡️ STRUGGLING? START HERE! 🧡 JOIN OUR SUPPORT COMMUNITY 🗣️  SHARE YOUR OWN STORY! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subsc...

If you need help wrapping your brain around the idea of of disengaging in a positive way, I wrote a whole ebook to help with that: ➡️  Not Your Circus, Not Your Monkeys: The Frustrated Stepparent's Guide to Reclaiming Personal Peace . It includes advice and a step-by-step how-to along with my personal stories about disengaging, plus a bunch of different “how I disengaged” examples from other stepp...

A high conflict ex can turn stepfamily life into a nightmare. How can stepparents keep from getting cooked ourselves? Read the full transcript on Substack >> -- ➡️ STRUGGLING? START HERE! 🧡 JOIN OUR SUPPORT COMMUNITY 🗣️  SHARE YOUR OWN STORY! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blendedfamilyfrappe.substack.com

It literally took years for Dan & I to get on the same page as a stepcouple. Which, it turns out, is pretty normal in a blended family. That sure doesn’t make it easy though! Which is why we put together this guide: How to Actually Blend: The Missing Instruction Manual for Stepcouples . You might also want to check out: The 3 phases (& 7 stages) of blending your family Blended family red flags Rea...

So much of successfully navigating stepparenting depends on our ability to think outside the box — to get creative, to redefine how “family” looks and feels, to reassess what it means to be a stepparent in a way that actually works for us. And all of that applies to self-care for stepparents as well: it’s probably not gonna look how you thought. Which is normal and okay. Read the full transcript o...

A pep talk for stepparents who get gaslit into believing that the dysfunction at home and/or between co-parents is somehow their fault. Read the full transcript on Substack >> -- ➡️ STRUGGLING? START HERE! 🧡 JOIN OUR SUPPORT COMMUNITY 🗣️  SHARE YOUR OWN STORY! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blendedfamilyfra...

How to deal when your stepkids are the very definition of a special snowflake. Read the full transcript on Substack >> -- ➡️ STRUGGLING? START HERE! 🧡 JOIN OUR SUPPORT COMMUNITY 🗣️  SHARE YOUR OWN STORY! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blendedfamilyfrappe.substack.com

The most infuriating stepparenting advice I heard/read over and over again was “Oh just don’t take it personally! It’s not you ; it’s the role. Your stepkid would treat anyone in your position the same way.” Today, I'll share what I wish those folks would've said instead. Read the full transcript on Substack >> -- ➡️ STRUGGLING? START HERE! 🧡 JOIN OUR SUPPORT COMMUNITY 🗣️  SHARE YOUR OWN STORY! T...

Parental alienation is the most “dark night of the soul” challenge we faced in our blended family... but eventually our stepfamily did find hope and healing. Read the full transcript on Substack >> -- ➡️ STRUGGLING? START HERE! 🧡 JOIN OUR SUPPORT COMMUNITY 🗣️  SHARE YOUR OWN STORY! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes,...

Knowing what counts as “normal” in a stepfamily would’ve made a HUGE difference in how I approached becoming a stepmom. I was completely unprepared for how hard this role was gonna be. Read the full transcript on Substack >> -- ➡️ STRUGGLING? START HERE! 🧡 JOIN OUR SUPPORT COMMUNITY 🗣️  SHARE YOUR OWN STORY! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get...

Some self-care tips for any stepparent who feels like their brain is melting from massive overwhelm. What’s your go-to de-stress practice? Hop over to Substack and leave a comment if you wanna share — I’d love to hear it, and you’d be helping other stressed-out stepparents too! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit...

Today, just a quick reminder: you don’t need the ex’s permission to play a role in your stepkids’ lives. Nor do you need the ex’s approval before you meet your stepkids. Did your partner’s ex want to meet you before you were “allowed” to meet your future stepkids? Please join us in Substack and share in the comments, I’d love to hear that story. 😱 This is a public episode. If you would like to di...

From dads who aren’t allowed to see their kids to stepdads whose role goes completely unrecognized, Father’s Day emotions in stepfamilies can run the full spectrum. Read the full transcript on Substack >> -- ➡️ STRUGGLING? START HERE! 🧡 JOIN OUR SUPPORT COMMUNITY This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blendedfamily...

If I could only pick one message that I want each and every stepparent to know, it's this: yeah this shit is hard, but you are not alone. So many other stepparents have been where you are and made it through. There is hope. This does get better. I'd be lying if I said that message applies to every stepparenting situation, though. Read the full transcript on Substack >> -- ➡️ STRUGGLING? START HERE...

Let’s dispel some common myths about disengaging from our stepkids. Starting with #1: disengaging is not a bad thing. Read the full transcript on Substack >> -- ➡️ STRUGGLING? START HERE! 🧡 JOIN OUR SUPPORT COMMUNITY This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blendedfamilyfrappe.substack.com

Stepfamilies in high conflict situations need different strategies and resources than other blended families. So many of the typical co-parenting advice out there does not apply when the ex is a nightmare narcissist. And stepparents in high conflict need extra support, too — which is why we’re here. Because holy cow this is NOT what you signed up for!! Read the full transcript on Substack >> MORE...

Today is Stepmother's Day, a very real holiday that doesn’t seem to quite show up on anyone’s radar. Stores don’t carry "Happy Stepmother's Day!" cards. You’re not gonna see an ad like “Get Stepmom something as special as she is!” Technically the holiday exists… yet we're not actually acknowledged. Sounds about right. 🤦🏻‍♀️ Read the full transcript on Substack >> This is a public episode. If you...

As sucky as it is on a daily basis for our efforts to go unrecognized as stepmoms, there's really no day that hits home more than Mother's Day, and no day when it feels like more of a slap across the face to end up forgotten and overlooked. Thanks for all you do for your partners and your stepkids, today and every day. READ THE FULL TRANSCRIPT ON SUBSTACK >> This is a public episode. If you would...

Okay yes stepfamily life is very complex and we all need lots of support, blah blah blah. But you know what else we need? To lighten the heck up sometimes! So today here’s a bunch of stepparenting tips candy-coated in delicious Star Wars lore. Which is more metaphorical to steplife than one might think. Read the full transcript on Substack >> This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss...

There’s a great quote from Lucille Ball that goes “Love yourself first, and everything else falls into line.” That for sure has been my personal experience with stepparenting. (And really, with life in general.) As stepparents, we talk a LOT about loving our stepkids, about loving our partners and our blended families. But what we don’t talk about — and should! — is what we're doing to make sure w...