By Jessica Schrader — 2018
How to stop hating yourself and your step-kid, as well.
Read on www.psychologytoday.com
CLEAR ALL
Becoming a stepparent by blending families or marrying someone with kids can be rewarding and fulfilling. If you've never had kids, you'll get the chance to share your life with a younger person and help to shape his or her character.
The children are angry and vulnerable, the father sides with them out of guilt, and stepmothers are just expected to suck it all up
When things get tough, focus on your relationship. It'll get better.
My husband and I grope each other constantly. I don’t think a day goes by without at least one of us copping a feel. I say this proudly because after almost 20 years of being together, we are still hot for each other. And I don’t see any reason to hide this from our kids.
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Between taking children to school and managing other to-dos, some days it may feel like you don’t get a minute to yourself. And even when you hear about, self-care, you may dismiss it as frivolous, unnecessary, or even selfish.
In a post #MeToo world, many parents of young boys are anxious to find a better way forward for their sons. Luckily, there are many things parents can do to foster a positive environment in which their sons can flourish and thrive, and be proud of who they grow up to be.
Conflict doesn’t mean the end of your remarriage, and can actually make it stronger. There are always going to be disagreements; you cannot avoid them entirely. What you can do, however, is become skilled at recovering from disputes by talking about your perspectives afterwards.
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I love my kids fiercely. But, if I’m being totally honest, there are times when I catch myself dreaming about the life I might have if I weren’t chained to three young kids, a husband and a mortgage.
Stepparenting itself— that is, forming a relationship with someone else's kid— isn't the hard part. It's the intense, conflicted emotions you experience as part of the transition into becoming a stepparent that are the real killer.
Many stepmothers begin the commitment phase of their relationships with an engagement ring. Women who love men with children hear the statistical improbability of successful remarriage and dismiss it, knowing in their hearts that theirs is the love that will beat the odds.