Relationships
I failed as A stepmom by Danielle Klooster
It may be seen as a shocking confession to come out and actually say I failed as a stepmom. But there you have it. The inclination might be to say things like, “Oh, don’t be so hard on yourself,” or “Beating yourself up doesn’t help.” And I agree – if the sole intent of this confession is just to wallow in self-recrimination, then it’s just a defeated diatribe. Let’s not do that. Let’s learn and grow.
Meddling and muddling My stepchild came into my life at four years of age and had just turned five when I married her dad. She lived with her mom, about an hour away, and we saw her every second weekend. She was (is) a lively, sunny, outgoing person who was always quick with a compliment for everyone she met (no cashier ever felt so glamorous and beautiful as when this little lady went through their till!). She was also super drawn to mischief and lightning fast with getting into things. A handful, but a joy. Over the years, there were periods of time when she came to live with us. She had a lot of stress in her life and had difficulty coping. There’s no manual for parenting, as they say, but there’s not even a handy reference sheet for step-parenting. I tried to parent her like I parented my own kids, but that was ridiculous, since she wasn’t my kid, and she already had a mom and a dad, and I was not either one of those. I have a markedly different philosophy
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