Dr. Phil: now taking questions from the audience, as well as video questions
It appears that the mom from the mom/stepmom team that was to appear on the show this coming Tuesday has changed her mind. The show would now like to instead focus on taking questions from both moms and stepmoms in the audience, so you're in luck if you live in Los Angeles or close by, [...]
Read more »Happy Stepfamily Day!!
Happy Stepfamily Day to all the stepfamilies out there!
Being in a stepfamily has its unique challenges, but there are also many opportunities to create new and lasting connections, new opportunities for love and support. Surprising little islands of closeness and intimacy, the chance to really see each other anew. Sure, I hear many [...]
Tell Oprah!
I'm joining forces with three other good friends* in the hopes of getting more publicity for blended family and "dual-family" issues, just in time for National Stepfamily Day on Sept. 16th. It's estimated that only 20% of American families are now nuclear families. And stepfamilies have an almost 75% rate of divorce!
The single-parent [...]
New stepmom? Heading off conflict from the get-go…
Feeling your way into potential stepmotherhood? Are you dating a divorced man with kids and things are looking promising? Here are a few ideas for setting a healthy course from the very beginning that will make you thank yourself later.
Bond over the good stuff, not the bad. Don’t make a part of your bonding experience [...]
Erasing the enemy – Part Two
(If you missed Part One, it's here.)
The stepmother clicked the button to end the call before it started ringing. Then she took a deep breath and began to dial again. She stopped halfway, remembering some of the worst verbal insults that had made their way back to her, some of the angry and hateful [...]
Next support group meeting – one week from today!
Just a quick reminder, our next meeting hosted by Carol and I will be this coming Tuesday, June 16th at 7:30pm at the award-winning BookPeople.
We've created a Meetup group here, if you'd like to join. Or you can always check our Events page….
We still have raffle prizes to give away too!
Tonight, we're baby-sitting David [...]
Erasing the enemy – part one
Once upon a time, there was a mom and stepmom, stuck with each other in their lives, like a splinter in their thumb that couldn’t be removed. Thumbs get used a lot, so this was a bad thing, this constant, wincing reminder of the splinter as they went about their days.
It was a pretty typical [...]
Shoring up against potential (family) erosion…
I was talking to my friend Bernadette yesterday from Slow Family Living about putting together a panel for next year's SXSW — and was surprised at her surprise by a part of our conversation. Context: she has four kids under the age of 11. My two girls are 14 and 18, with one already [...]
Read more »Cold Hard Facts
Welcome to our first guest post! It's by Katherine Shirek Doughtie, one of the co-authors of a "sister" site, the fabulous, but sadly currently dormant The DHX: The Doughtie Houses Exchange — which is also about creating cooperative mom/stepmom relationships. (Katherine is the mom and Jill Doughtie is the stepmom.) The post is actually [...]
Read more »Sample Chapter
Tired of trying to figure out who’s at “fault” when it comes to the problems between you and the mom or stepmom?
Here’s some food for thought!
Chapter 6: Be Accountable (No One Else to Blame)
From No One’s the Bitch (Globe Pequot Press), © Jennifer
Newcomb Marine and Carol Marine, used by permission.

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