When Your Step Child's Grades Fall - Stepparenting
When your stepchild's grades suddenly swing from passing to "How did this happen?!" there may be cause for concern. However, jumping to the conclusion that he or she was goofing around instead of paying attention or not putting in enough effort [... more]
Bella Online |
Fairness - Stepparenting
Our kids are from two generations. My step kids are almost officially adults now - Derek is in his third year in the Army and the twins just graduated from high school and will celebrate their 18th birthdays in just a couple weeks. Their ... [... more]
Bella Online |
Building Self-Esteem in Our Step Daughters - Stepparenting
Building self-esteem is not typically a topic that circulates on the step parenting site, but I've discovered, through my own experience with my stepdaughter and through reading the forum posts in our step parenting forum, that self-esteem, ... [... more]
Bella Online |
When Bio Mom Chooses Not to Be There - Stepparenting
There were times when my husband would call his ex-wife and tell her how much the kids wanted to see her. He would beg her to see the kids. She lived 20 minutes away; sometimes she would come pick them up for an hour, but quite often she ... [... more]
Bella Online |
Navigating Disciplinary Minefields with Stepkids - ...
I don't know about you, but one of the hardest adjustments we have had in our blended family is discipline style. Sometimes it's like navigating a minefield. My husband, Dave, and I have very different styles of approaching discipline, and came ... [... more]
Bella Online |
Holiday Rules for Moms and Dads - Stepparenting
The holiday season is coming, and I've discovered over the years that as much as most of us enjoy holidays, they are not always very easy for anyone involved, whether you are mom, dad, or step parent. The silent tug of war that gets played out ... [... more]
Bella Online |
Stepparents Play an Important Role in Kids' Lives - ...
I am a step mom. I "stepped" into an already-formed family, with children who already had a mother, albeit an absent one. I was only 15 years old and in high school when Derek, my oldest stepson, was born in Germany to parents who were [... more]
Bella Online |
It's Not About Blood -- It's About Heart - Stepparenting
The most common response I get when introducing my children is behind-the-scenes calculation while they try to figure out just how young I was when the oldest was born. Depending on who it is and how much time I have, I sometimes just let them ... [... more]
Bella Online |
Disciplining as a Team - Stepparenting
Probably one of the more notable challenges of living in a blended family is adjusting to the various lifestyles and attitudes each of us bring to the newly formed family unit. My step kids were old enough, when their biological mother left, to ... [... more]
Bella Online |
Changing Perspective - The Bio Mom's Viewpoint - ...
I'm a step mom, so I tend to talk about everything from a step mom's perspective. I suppose that's only natural; I write what I know, what I experience. However, I recently had an extended email conversation with a biological mom about step ... [... more]
Bella Online |
Keeping Family Close - Stepparenting
My kids' biological mother has chosen not to have an active role in her children's lives. It is difficult for me to understand her choice, and I am seeing the effects of it in the way the kids respond to her (or choose not to, in the case of our ... [... more]
Bella Online |
Before Becoming a Step Mom - Stepparenting
I've been reading out step parenting forum, and lately, there has been a lot of heart-breaking stories appearing from women who really don't want to be step moms. If you are thinking about marrying a man with children, please consider carefully ... [... more]
Bella Online |
