(Please forgive some of the wonky formatting on some of these posts. We recently ported our entire site over to Wordpress and are still working out the kinks! Thanks for your patience.)

Where to Start?

There’s a lot to explore on our site! If this is your first time here and you’re looking for guidance on where to jump in, here are some suggestions for our most popular posts:

Beginnings

• Erasing the Enemy – Part 1
• Erasing the Enemy – Part 2
• Which house would you rather live in?
• A moment of pause in the wind tunnel
• Always a choice.
• Painting the New American Family Landscape, with Numbers

Tricky Issues

• What if you’ve been betrayed?
• A crystal ball: Will your relationship with the ex-wife or stepmom ever improve?
• Do you make these mistakes with your ex-husband?
• And four more mistakes you may be making with your ex-husband
• Tender Underbellies
• Balls in the Air – Dating as a Single Mom
• My fault? Your fault? It’s got to be someone’s!
• The Joy of Being Judgmental
• Drunk Buddhist Clowns

Moving forward

• How do you regroup?
• Top Ten Reasons for a Mother/Stepmother Revolution
• Supporting our kids through daily actions
• How to stop hating the ex-wife or stepmother in your life in seven simple steps
• How to stop hating the ex-wife or stepmother in your life – our story
• Monday Maybe: First, do no harm
• The Awesome Power of Thank You and Hello
• One thing you can do when the other woman makes you go ‘Grrrrr’
• A Tiny Bridgemaker – Part One
• A Tiny Bridgemaker – Part Two

Or you could browse posts by category on the archives page.

You might also want to listen to a few interviews if you’re looking for the more personal touch….

Here’s a list of our favorite websites – and why…

The Stepmom’s Tool Box – Peggy Nolan has written some mind-blowingly great posts on the issue of self-deception (and no, it’s not just the other woman’s problem, though that sure would be convenient!). Lots of great resources and interviews.

Stepmother’s Milk – Sassy and irreverent, this site offers advice, support and camaraderie for new, soon-to-be and veteran stepmoms. Special features include a monthly Stepmom in the Spotlight and a page dedicated to stepmom mixers and meetups across the country. Written by Izzy Rose, of The Package Deal.

Wednesday Martin – You can always count on Wednesday for an interesting take on current events, plus interviews, guest posts and some juicy questions! Links to her latest posts on Psychology Today and The Huffington Post. Author of the ground-breaking, well-researched Stepmonster.

First Wives World – A veritable treasure trove of information for divorced women, with a well-organized index of articles, ongoing blogs by a variety of writers, and advice on

parenting, dating and happiness, post-divorce.

Becoming a Stepmom – A robust and informative resource for stepmoms of all ages and stages. Read through the many free articles or submit a question of your own. Jacquelyn B. Fletcher is a stepmom coach, host of the popular Stepmom Circles Podcast, co-founder of The Stepfamily Letter Project and is the author of Becoming a Stepmom

Stepchicks – An active and supportive community hosted by Erin of the Erin Experiment. You’re sure to find a sympathetic ear and make some new friends.

StepMom Magazine – A positive, comprehensive overview of stepmom issues, written by a slew of experts in the field. Paid subscription, but very affordable. Someday, a major publisher will snatch this snazzy baby up and you can say you knew it way back when…

Arbinger Institute – Extremely thought-provoking approach to conflict resolution. Free groups calls, downloadable articles, highly recommended books (see below) and an active forum full of thoughtful, smart folks.

(Notice that most of these are stepmom-oriented, since stepmoms seem to currently make up a large part of our audience. But we’re actively looking for more sites for moms too! If there’s one you’d like to recommend, drop us a line.)

Books we love:

• The Anatomy of Peace, by the Arbinger Institute
• Keeping Kids Out of the Middle: Child-Centered Parenting in the Midst of Conflict, Separation and Divorce, by Benjamin Garber, Ph.D.
• The Package Deal: My (not-so) Glamorous Transition from Single Gal to Instant Mom, by Izzy Rose
• Stepmonster: A New Look at Why Real Stepmothers Think, Feel, and Act the Way We Do, by Wednesday Martin, Ph.D.
• HeartMath, by Doc Lew Childre and Howard Martin
• The Career Girl’s Guide to Becoming a Stepmom, by Jacquelyn B. Fletcher
• Ten Zen Seconds, by Eric Maisel
• Parenting From the Inside Out, by Daniel Siegel and Mary Hartzell
• Where to Draw the Line: How to Set Healthy Boundaries Every Day, by Anne Katherine
• The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships, by John Gottman
• The Shelter of Each Other, by Mary Pipher
• The Art of Forgiveness, Lovingkindness, and Peace, by Jack Kornfield
• Practicing the Power of Now, by Eckhardt Tolle