The Stepmom S Guide To Simplifying Your Life

Sane, savvy, and practical advice for parents on challenges they face with their teens, including sex, driving, risky behaviors, discipline, money, health, athletics, faith, travel, college admissions, single and blended families, and more

Past: Perfect! Present: Tense! Insights From One Woman's Journey As The Wife Of A Widower, an exciting new book and the first of its genre, offers readers a personal glimpse into the life of a "WOW" (Wife Of a Widower). Sensitively written by Julie Donner Andersen, a WOW herself, the book is a clear and honest portrayal of the roller coaster ride of emotional ups and downs that most new WOW's endure, and includes reassuring quotes from fellow WOW's who validate Mrs. Andersen's research. The author also empathetically describes the heart of a widower and how the WOW can relate compassionately to his grief issues while at the same time, protecting her own sense of security, self worth, and dignity. Best of all, this book offers valuable and sensible advice from someone "in the know" regarding how to deal with WOW-related issues in marriage.

A funny, honest, and empathetic resource for the novice stepmother on maintaining sanity, solving hair-raising identity issues, regaining a sense of humor, and surviving what you did for love.... What happens when the honeymoon comes to a screeching halt and you're faced with a houseful of rambunctious children, an ever-present ex-wife, and a new husband trying to balance the chaos? This helpful guide includes advice on: • The kids: Adjusting to suspicion, resentment, and biological-parent loyalties • The ex-wife: Living calmly alongside her, whether she's a psycho or the perfect mother • The holidays: Accommodating old family traditions and developing new ones • The sex: Keeping love alive through the kids' bed-wettings and nightmares • The finances: Building safety nets and avoiding financial disasters • The urge to be evil: Accepting it, and then stopping yourself from saying something you'll regret—to him, the kids, or her • Plus an invaluable list of resources, websites, publications, and organizations specifically for the new stepmother

The stepmother's role often is ambiguous and underappreciated, and frequently it carries unrealistic expectations. The book answers women's concerns and questions, including: How can I be a caretaker and a key emotional connector in the family if the children don't accept my influence? How shoud I cope with children who are confused about their family and torn between loyalty to their biological mother and me? When should I step back in conflicts and when should I insist that my husband stand up for me? In addition it addresses the spiritual and emotional climate of the home, providing perspective and guidelines to help stepmothers and their families thrive.

Written for both biological parents and stepparents, this helpful guide provides the tools necessary to raising well-adjusted children after a stressful divorce. Innovative in its technique and cowritten by a certified divorce and stepfamily expert and her own stepchildren's mother, this etiquette book provides an authentic guide for ex-spouses to interact on a civil and healthy level. Sample conversation for everyday scenarios help exes create a positive environment and ensure the mental and physical well-being of the children. Whether it's coordinating discipline between households, introducing a new partner, dealing with late child support payments, or providing a regular schedule for children, this guide empowers parents to change what they can--their attitudes and communication skills. In doing so, divorced parents can increase their self-esteem and personal growth and emerge confident that they can handle awkward situations and powerful emotions while keeping the children's best interests a priority.

You have an exciting, fulfilling job. You've fallen in love with the man of your dreams—and met his three kids! Now what? Jacquelyn B. Fletcher shows how any professional woman turned wife and instant stepmother can build on the skills she employs at work—organization, team-building, goal-setting, and planning—to succeed at home in her new role as stepmom. Drawing on the latest research, her own experiences, and those of other real-life stepmothers, Fletcher offers advice, hope, encouragement, and much-needed answers to common conundrums, including: Why don't I have control over my own schedule? What kind of relationship do I want with my stepkids? What if I want to have a baby of my own? How do we create a budget that feels fair if I make more money than my husband does? A Career Girl's Guide to Becoming a Stepmom is essential reading for the professional woman who has it all—and then suddenly has more than she expected.