by Shadra Bruce | Stepparenting
Our oldest son, Derek, was 10 years old when I started filling the mom role for him. Dave and his first wife had been divorced for over a year and apart for nearly two, and Dave had full-time physical custody of the kids. The kids rarely saw their “real” mom. I filled...
by Shadra Bruce | Stepparenting
Getting Real with Shadra Bruce You don’t have to be a masochist to make a good stepparent. While it’s true that step parenting includes some painful moments, it is possible to enjoy it. As a stepmom of three for more than a decade, I can honestly say that...
by Shadra Bruce | Stepparenting
Building self-esteem is not typically a topic gets a lot of attention on a parenting site, but I’ve discovered, through my own experience with my children and through reading emails and having conversations with other stepmoms, that self-esteem, particularly...
by Shadra Bruce | Stepparenting
I’m a stepmom and have been a stepparenting and blended family specialist for so long that I tend to talk about and think about everything from a stepmom’s perspective. I suppose that’s only natural; I write what I know, what I experience. However,...
by Shadra Bruce | Stepparenting
When I first began dating my husband and things were getting serious, I started doing the math. He had a 10-year old son and 6-year old twins, so I had about 12 years of stepparenting ahead of me. I was wondering to myself whether or not I could handle it. I hadn’t...
