If no, then you can say, “Well, I hope you feel better. In the meantime, could you please take your stuff upstairs?” If he sasses, you respond again with kindness: “I’m sorry you’re not feeling well, but we still have to follow the house rules. Please pick up your stuff and take it to your room. Then I’d love to know if there’s anything I can do to help.” Read more
Tag Archive for stepmother
02
Jan 2012
Things You Can Do Right Now Part (3)
29
Dec 2011
Things You Can Do Right Now Part (2)
• Practice banishing your negative thoughts and language and focusing on what you desire for your stepfamily. For instance, when I was annoyed and hurt that the kids didn’t like the meal I cooked, instead of giving in to the negative thoughts, I could have decided in the moment not to think them. Read more
25
Dec 2011
Things You Can Do Right Now
It can be awfully hard to think of positive things if you’re mired in anger, self-pity, fear, or any of the emotions on the negative side of the spectrum. So I’ll give you a few examples to get you started.
• Do loving things for yourself. Get a massage. Have lunch with your best friend. Go for a walk. Take a yoga class. Check out the new exhibit at your local museum. Listen to beautiful music. Read more
15
Nov 2011
Feeling Different Part (3)
Eleanor has two stepsons and an “ours” son with her husband. “We have always raised them as brothers,” she says. The older two boys are 16 and 21 and the youngest son is 7. “There is no sibling rivalry. They protect each other.
There’s such an age difference, there’s no competition. Read more
11
Nov 2011
Feeling Different Part (2)
When you’re a parent of your own kids, there’s an infinitely larger supply of love and forgiveness. I had a more finite supply of those things with my stepchildren. I say this without a lot of pride. I don’t think I was a successful stepmother at all.” Part of the reason she doesn’t think she was successful is that she treated her own kids different from her stepsons. Read more