Christina kicks off Season 7 with live interviews from the recent Radical Meet-Up in Chicago! What were the hot topics discussed? What binds us together as stepmoms? What makes us "radical"? Christina also sets the tone for the upcoming season with a little pep-talk. Download this episode so you can save it for a stepmom rainy day. Enjoy and Cheers to Season 7! So much more than a podcast!!! Find me on the Gram @radicalstepmomspodcast Want a little more support? Schedule a 1:1 session...

Christina wraps up Season 6 by welcoming Carl Knickerbocker -you my know him on IG as Unapologetic Parenting. Not only is he in Family Law, but he lives the blended life himself. Carl shares his own experience through the court system and how he supports his wife as a stepmom. He answers how bio-dad's can step up, how to recognize and establish boundaries, navigating the court system and the beauty of parallel parenting. Listen In! Special thank you for all your support in Season SIX!...

Christina chats with KC to discuss the often unspoken reality of men's mental health through their divorce and into high conflict co-parenting. Women can be emotionally abusive too and many stepmoms are seeing the residual and continued trauma our partners experienced. How do we support them as they navigate their own healing? How do we advocate and protect our partners from more emotional abuse without being the scapegoat "villain"? Listen in! About My Guest: Hey! I'm KC a 25year old...

Christina welcomes Matt from Our Family Wizard to discuss how Co-parenting apps can help organize and lessen the conflict in blended family life. There are more options out there now so what do you look for in an app? What tools are the most helpful? How do you get the use of the app court ordered and how do you get the other house to use it? If you're curious about getting started with a co-parenting app, listen in! About My Guest: Matt Havrevold attended the University of Minnesota...

Christina welcomes Marci, a "pandemic stepmom" whose introduction into the role was deeply impacted by a quick move-in with her partner and staying home with the kids for remote learning. Even being a teacher could not have prepared her! The two discuss being childless by choice and how circumstances change what we thought our families would look like. Marci also shares about her tricky relationship with the ex and how she manages the feelings of having an opinion, but not always a voice. Can...

Christina welcomes Dr. Ann, a psychologist, author and stepmom of 30+ years. Ann shares about her book "The Parent's Guide to Birdnesting" the decision some divorced couples choose to share a home so the kids don't have to transition, What?! Dr. Ann and Christina also chat topics like when is the best time to introduce a new partner and how it impacts the kids, and how biology plays into your attachment to your stepkids. How can all parents make the divorce and blending transition...

Christina welcomes Dr. Tracy Dalgleish to discuss how we can unravel our difficult patterns and how we can change the way we communicate with our partners. Dr. Tracy shares her insights on shifting from a focus of wanting control to relationship and intimacy, prioritizing "we" over the need to be right and how to move through our feelings of resentment and find acceptance. It's not always easy making our relationships a priority, but as stepmoms (and statistics not in our favor) what can we...

Yes, a stepmom and the ex CAN be friends. Christina welcomes Felisa, a stepmom who shares her story of stepmotherhood and how she navigates her friendship with her stepkids' mom. Who extended the olive branch? Are there any weird feelings? Felisa and Christina chat about what helps make a relationship like this to happen, and what boundaries might need to be present. It's not always possible, so when it does happen - bravo! Listen in! About My Guest: Hi I’m Felisa, I’m 30 years old. Born...

Christina welcomes back Coach Michelle, a licensed attorney, a Certified High Conflict Diversion Coach, as well as a Certified Martha Beck Life Coach. The two chat hot topics like communication, documentation, parenting plans and boundaries. Michelle anwers your questions about how to document in preperation for court, what to do about the misuse of cell phones, and what to do when the other house refuses to comminicate. Michelle is a great resource if you're wanting help distancing yourself...

Christina chats with Charlotte, a long-distance stepmom and military wife. After moving from the UK to the US to be with her person, she knows the trial and errors of being a stepmom. Charlotte shares how she maintains a relationship with the kids when she doesn't see them often, what it was like to get the full-time for a year and then back to long-distance and how she prioritizes her relationship when her partner is deployed. For all those wondering about long-distance stepmomming - listen...

Christina chats with Katie Beth, a stepmom who shares her story of falling in love, the complexities of dating with kids, managing not only a high conflict ex but her high conflict parents. The two discuss what happens when the stepmom shows up and there's no boundaries in place, raising a special needs stepkid and pregnancy after loss. What helped Katie Beth learn how to identify boundaries? What did she need as she prepared to bring home an ours baby? Listen in! About My Guest: Hi,...

Christina chats with Elly, a bio-mom who remarried and now finds herself rocking the stepmom role. With Elly's background in communication, she shares her dos and don't of co-parenting her SIX kids. The two chat group texts, methods to help lessen the conflict and how to manage when you feel your partner walks on eggshells. How has Elly's role as a bio-mom influenced how she shows up as a stepmom? What's her dynamic like with her kids' stepmom? Listen in! About My Guest I am a Bio Mom +...

Christina welcomes Cameron, a stepmom who found her voice and founded This Custom Life, is host of The Stepmom Diaries podcast, Co-CEO of Stepfamily Magazine, and Co-founder of The Stepmom Summit. Cameron discusses how she stepped into her role and how the ages of our stepkids can impact the way we show up. Christina and Cameron chat how the bond can be different between your different stepkids, the guilt we carry and some mistakes stepmoms make when trying to define their role. Cameron also...

Christina welcomes Amanda and Joe to talk full-time step-parenting, supporting one another through HCBM's antics, how to establish boundaries and MORE. Grab your partner for this one. Hearing from another stepmom is validating, but it's always enlightening to hear from how another couple navigates the good, bad and ugly. Listen in! So much more than a podcast!!! Find me on the Gram @radicalstepmomspodcast Want a little more support? Schedule a 1:1 session or become a Radical Member? Head...

Christina chats with Haley, a former stepmom ready to share her story of love, life, struggles and choosing to walk away. What led to Haley's decision? Is she able to maintain a relationship with her stepkids? How is she protecting her our's baby? Stepmotherhood can be a rough road, what would Haley do differently? Has her perspective on blended life changed now that she's a biomom? Listen in! So much more than a podcast!!! Find me on the Gram @radicalstepmomspodcast Want a little more...

Christina chats with Tori to share her story of co-parenting, parallel parenting and how her family is gradually finding their way back to co-parenting. What does it take to co-parent effectively? When should you make the move to parallel parenting? How do you build trust and manage your own high conflict tendencies? They also chat about when the ex gets a new partner, the feelings of needing to prove yourself as a stepmom and how our own childhoods impact our views of our blended family....

Christina and Jacob continue their conversation in Part 2! If you haven't listened to Part 1 (S6:Episode 8) - you should go back and do that first! They start by sharing how they stay connected when blended life feels all consuming. Do you put the relationship first? How do they see their blended family evolving as their kids get older? What does Jake struggle with most in dealing with his ex and how does it impact his relationship with his son? Listen in! So much more than a podcast!!!...

Christina chats with Mallory to share her story of being the non-preferred house, alienation and how she's protected her ours baby from the harshness of blended life. Mallory speaks to what it's like living in the same home her husband shared with the ex - maybe excessive amounts of paint and redecorating?! Ever reach your limit and stand up the the ex? What happens after alienation? Listen in! About My Guest: I’m Mallory! I’m married to a wonderful man and have a SD15 and an ours “baby”...

Christina welcomes back her husband Jacob to chat her recent choice to disengage. What led her to stepping back? How does Jacob feel about it and what does he struggle with? What do they bicker about besides blended family life?! Christina and Jacob talk candidly about who’s the preferred parent, when you just can’t stop talking about the ex and the hard feelings about being the partner of a disengaged stepmom. Listen in to Part One of this Two Episode series - enjoy! So much more than a...

Christina chats with Kelly who shares her journey of being a pandemic stepmom, teens and parenting with a "performative" biomom. Do you feel like you live in a fishbowl? Is it weird to have never met the ex? With all the ups and downs, let's talk our greatest lifeline: Disengaging. Listen in!  So much more than a podcast!!!  Find me on the Gram @radicalstepmomspodcast  Want a little more support? Schedule a 1:1 session or become a Radical Member? Head to my website! --- Send in a voice...

In this solo episode, Christina shares what many stepmoms are asking about and gives her hot take. What if a stepmom doesn't want a relationship with the ex - no matter how nice she is? Is it ever okay to look at the ex's social media? How does a stepmom manage disciplining the stepkids? Christina chats it all! And if you're a stepmom who's super hard on herself...listen in. Christina shares some tips on how you can show more compassion for the amazing stepmom you are! Enjoy!  So much more...

Christina welcomes Amanda who understands the highs and woes of having stepkids in extracurricular activites. What's the big deal? Well, let's chat about it! Do you show up to the games/practices? If you do - do you sit with the other parent? How do you handle the cost of uniforms? What do you do if the ex signs the kids up without telling you? How do our own values, needs and personality play a part in how we show up - or don't? We chat it all! Listen in!  So much more than a podcast!!! ...

Content Warning: This episode discusses the loss of a child. Please check in with your heart and listen in only if you have the time and space. Christina welcomes Courtney to share her story of stepmotherhood.  Like many stepmoms, Courtney struggled with the role she played in her stepdaughter's life. After years of navigating a long distance relationship Courtney and her husband started building a case and filed for custody. Sadly, Courtney's stepdaughter's life was cut way too short....

Christina chats with Jill, a Divorce Attorney who shares what to look for if you're headed to family court. In her book, "No One Dies From Divorce" Jill discusses what it takes to co-parent well and how to manage an alienating parent. What's the "right" way to divorce and where did our partners go wrong?  What's her experience in working with stepmoms? Is the legal system changing how stepmoms are represented? Listen in!  About My Guest:  Jill L. Coil dually licensed in both Texas and Utah...

Christina chats with Anna a full-time stepmom who has been through high conflict, custody battles, control issues with communication, self esteem and guilt. Any of this sound familiar? Anna shares her experience with full custody stepmom life, the pros and cons, what helps and doesn't help and what she struggles with most. They chat how to support stepkids who don't see their other parent often and the ever changing "seasons" of stepmotherhood. Grab your beverage of choice and listen...