The Stepmoms Club

The tips, tricks and support you need to survive stepmotherhood — the perfect gift for every stepmom around You've met the partner of your dreams and have gotten your happily ever after, but now you've taken on a new role: stepmom. And you have no idea what you signed up for. Or maybe you've been a stepmom for a while now, but things are getting you down. Who do you turn to for help? Where is the stepmothering support group that'll give you the advice you need? A book for all the ins and outs of having a blended family? Who actually gets how hard being a stepmom can be? We do. We are the women who have chosen stepmotherhood and lived to tell the tale. This parenting guide holds our solutions to help you: Brave the crazy ex demands Overcome the financial hurdles of a blended family Be prepared for the legal battles and custody arrangements Handle disrespectful children Nourish your relationship Manuever the emotional breakdowns of stepmotherhood Build your own stepmom's club Understand why you need your partner to have your back Written by stepmoms for stepmoms, these tips, anecdotes, and words of advice will help you find success and support within your new family. We are the Stepmoms' Club — your club — and we're here to help you.

An honest and groundbreaking guide to understanding the complicated emotions that develop between stepmothers and children. When faced with often overwhelming challenges, what woman with stepchildren is unfamiliar with that “stepmonster” feeling? Half of all women in the United States will live with or marry a man with children. To guide women new to this role—and empower those who are struggling with it—Wednesday Martin draws upon her own experience as a stepmother. She's frank about the harrowing process of becoming a stepmother, she considers the myths and realities of being married to a man with children, and she counteracts the cultural notion that stepmothers are solely responsible for the problems that often develop. Along the way, she interviews other stepmothers and stepchildren and offers up fascinating insights from literature, anthropology, psychology, and evolutionary biology that explain the little-understood realities of this unique parent-child relationship and—in an unexpected twist—shows why the myth of the Wicked Stepmother is the single best tool for understanding who real stepmothers are and how they feel.

If you’re one of the more than 15 million stepmothers in the country, you know the particular trials—and joys—of stepfamily dynamics today. You wonder if you’re doing the right thing and, as a stepmother, many of your specific questions are unique. In this second edition of Stepmotherhood: How to Survive Without Feeling Frustrated, Left Out, or Wicked, journalist and stepmother Cherie Burns brings together countless insights and sound advice, based on the latest research and interviews with experts in the field (including dozens of other stepmoms), to answer questions such as: • How do you manage discipline when parents and stepparents disagree? • How can you help stepsiblings get along? • How do you handle birthdays, holidays, and weddings? • What’s the best way to get along with your stepchild’s mother? • When should you seek a therapist’s help? Burns’s wise and empathetic suggestions go beyond struggle, stigma, and compromise, showing how sensitive, informed stepmothers can take charge—and pride—in their role, becoming more effective and fulfilled.

Give your Tia a Personalized Gift she will Love! Your aunt will treasure this fill in the blank book. Prompts on the right side are easy to fill in. Pages on the left can be remain blank or can be used for photos, stickers, magazine cut-outs, or drawings. Your aunt will appreciate that you spent the time to make her a loving gift! Simple and sweet prompts will make filling out this book easy: You make me laugh when you _________ You should be the queen of _________ I love that we have the same I love when my you and I ________ together And many more! They'll love it when you take the time to give her something truly thoughtful. This sweet book will take less than an hour to fill out but will show how much you appreciate her!

In rhythmic verse, My Bonus Mom!, shows children of divorced families that a positive attitude can lead to a happy outcome and springs open their hearts and minds to accept their own bonus moms. It captures the mixed emotions that surge through young children as they deal with divorce and adjust to remarriage. The children work through their feelings of dismay, fear and anger, and grow to love dad's new wife, whom they come to think of as their bonus mom. Twice the attention, twice the love, twice the fun and twice as many birthday presents! What's not to love? Earned Honorable Mention at 2013 Southern California Book Festival!

Forget Cinderella and the hundreds of other fairy tales about wicked stepmothers. Here is the truth-- a warm, bright, positive, yet frankly honest and realistic celebration of the most challenging role any woman will face. Think of it as the joy of stepmomming, and the perfect Mother's Day gift of encouragement and support. Written and illustrated by Cynthia L. Copeland, a stepmother to three boys and author of the bestselling "Really Important Stuff My Kids Have Taught Me and other books with 585,000 copies in print, THE 317 BEST THINGS ABOUT BEING A STEPMOM is packed with humor, wisdom, empathy, quotes, and testimonials from dozens of stepmothers who have shared their experiences with the author. So, if being a stepmother seems so often to be a storm cloud, this is the silver lining. For example: "People can't figure out how old you are by the ages of your stepchildren. Or, When they hug you, you know it's genuine, not out of habit. You didn't have to agonize over whether to name your stepson after his grandfather, his rich uncle, or your favorite poet. If you ever go ahead and have kids of your own, you've had practice. And if you are already a parent: "The trip to the warehouse club is finally worth the gas money. Your step-teens will see to it that your younger kids are up on the latest cool music, video games, and cargo pants. Family counsel now has enough people for a house and a senate. And, "With so many more participants, there's a chance that you won't always get creamed at Scrabble!

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