The Stepmom Diaries Podcast

One of the most common challenges for stepmoms is how to relate to their stepchildren's biological mom, or "biomom" in stepmom speak. Especially if it's a high conflict situation. When you started dating and then settled down with someone with kids, you probably didn't expect that so many aspects of your life would be controlled by someone outside of your marriage or your immediate family. Someone who might not like you. So how do you deal with a biomom who doesn't like you? How do you deal with her if it's a high conflict situation? We'll talk about all of that and more in this episode. Resources Mentioned In The Episode "Ten Quick Tips To Deal With A High Conflict Bio Mom" that you can download for FREE right here. Bill Eddy, of The High Conflict Institute, has some great resources to deal with high conflict situations - both in blended families and in the workplace. Head to our show notes for more of his tools. Another great resource is Stepmom Magazine - an online publication with the tagline, "Even when it's good, it's complicated."

In this episode, we're going to talk about new year's resolutions. Why I stopped setting them this year, and what I did instead. And that it's not too late for you to try it, too. I also give you a hint about some SUPER exciting things coming your way this year. For a free sneak peek, sign up HERE! You can find the show notes (and other goodies) at www.thiscustomlife.com/episode11.

Forgive and Forget - not as easy as it sounds! In our last episode, we talked about gratitude and being intentional about things you're thankful for. Forgiveness goes hand in hand with gratitude, believe it or not, and that's what we're talking about today. Forgiving someone is hard. Really hard. In this episode, I'll give you four steps to take so you can both ask for and grant forgiveness in your daily life. Links Mentioned In This Episode: Stanford Forgiveness Project: https://learningtoforgive.com/9-steps/ Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/forgiveness/art-20047692 And don't forget . . . Text 44222 with the word "STEPMOM" if you'd like a preview of our BLENDED Family Formula. You can also find it HERE.

Did you know that gratitude is more than just being thankful? It's about forgiveness, too. And the two go hand in hand in helping you build a positive frame of mind. This is the first of a two-part series about gratitude and forgiveness and how they relate to your stepmom life. In today's episode, we'll talk about five ways you can reset your outlook by looking for more ways to be grateful in your daily life. You can find the show notes at: www.thiscustomlife.com/episode8

Can you imagine falling in love with someone who has a child and then moving from your big city home to the same small town they and their ex have lived in for years and years? Add in all the challenges around being in an LGBTQ+ blended family and you'll have the journey of today's guest. We talk about all of that and more with Beth McDonough, owner of The Inclusive Stepmom, as well as CMO and Editor-in-Chief of Stepmomz, the first mobile app for stepmoms.

In this episode, we talk all about how you can make your relationship a priority. Especially during these crazy times, it's easy to let your relationship take a back seat to all of the day to day responsibilities you've got. Especially in the complicated dynamics found in blended families. But the good news is, you can get back on track. And I'll show you how. (spoiler alert: it will take some work and some intentionality) Check out the show notes HERE, along with our companion blog post HERE.

We're so delighted to welcome Kristen Skiles as our guest in this episode. She is a Certified Stepparent Coach and founder of stepmomming.com, where she works to show stepmoms around the world that stepmomming is what they do and not who they are, encouraging them to embrace their unique roles and truly love their lives. In this episode, we'll tackle all the things. From her unique stepmom history (her husband's ex is one of her besties and actually lived with them for a bit!), to stepmom insecurities, to why you might want to consider a stepmom coach, it's a fun discussion that you won't want to miss! Here are all the places you can find Kristen: Blog: https://stepmomming.com/ Shop: https://shop.stepmomming.com/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/stepmomming Private Facebook Group: https://facebook.com/groups/stepmommingainteasy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stepmomming/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/stepmomming/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/stepmommingblog

We hear a lot about self-care these days. But what about stepmom self-care? It's just as important for stepmoms, if not more, than for anyone else. In this episode, we'll talk about why stepmoms need to take care of themselves and how you can get started. We've also got a free self-care assessment for you. It only takes about five minutes to complete and will help you identify the areas of your life that are causing you stress and that you need to focus on. You can check it out here: https://bit.ly/3jBvEkm

Today is all about the expectations versus the reality of being a stepmom. No matter what you thought life would be like when you married someone with kids, the reality probably looks a lot different. Today we'll talk all about that difference. How it impacts your life as a stepmom, how you can let go of your expectations, and how you can embrace your reality. Don't forget to subscribe to The Stepmom Diaries so that you don't miss an episode. And head to www.thiscustomlife.com for lots more stepmom tools and resources!

How often have you been talking to a friend, family member, or coworker and they've made some offhand comment about being a stepmom. And you know it wasn't intentionally offensive, but it still made you cringe. And you've kicked yourself for not having a good response. Get ready. We're going to tackle some of those awkward moments today and I'm going to make sure you are armed with the perfect response the next time it happens. Don't forget to share this episode with friends - and subscribe to The Stepmom Diaries Podcast so you don't miss anything! You can find more stepmom support and resources at www.thiscustomlife.com.