Bullying is such a bad problem that it can cause victims to commit suicide. Rachelle (http://www.stepsforstepmothers.com/coaching.html) discusses bullying among stepsiblings and what to do about it with Dianne Martin (http://www.diannemartinandassociates.com/), a certified stepfamily counselor and social worker. Not only does Dianne work with stepfamily members in her private practice in Canada, she also runs workshops and seminars for stepfamilies, and is a writer for stepmom magazine.

Bullying is such a bad problem that it can cause victims to commit suicide. Rachelle discusses bullying among stepsiblings and what to do about it with Dianne Martin, a certified stepfamily counselor and social worker. Not only does Dianne work with stepfamily members in her private practice in Canada, she also runs workshops and seminars for stepfamilies, and is a writer for stepmom magazine.

Childless and child-free stepmothers face unique challenges compared to stepmothers who have biological children of their own. Rachelle (http://www.stepsforstepmothers.com/coaching.html) discusses the various emotions they encounter and ways to deal with them with international speaker and author, Laura Petherbridge (http://www.laurapetherbridge.com/). Laura wrote When 'I Do' Becomes 'I Don't': Practical Steps for Healing During Separation and Divorce and The Smart Stepmom with stepfamily...

How ironic that Mother’s Day, a day meant to celebrate the contributions of mothers to their children’s lives, can be so painful for so many of the 15 million stepmothers who have stepchildren under the age of 18. These women don’t want much from their partners and stepchildren, just a simple acknowledgement of appreciation will do. Because of their stepchildren’s loyalty binds to their biological mothers and their husband’s lack of awareness that this holiday has meaning for them, many don’t...

How ironic that Mother’s Day, a day meant to celebrate the contributions of mothers to their children’s lives, can be so painful for so many of the 15 million stepmothers who have stepchildren under the age of 18. These women don’t want much from their partners and stepchildren, just a simple acknowledgement of appreciation will do. Because of their stepchildren’s loyalty binds to their biological mothers and their husband’s lack of awareness that this holiday has meaning for them, many don’t...

Divorce and remarriage can be very difficult for children to handle. In fact, twice as many children from divorced families experience academic, behavioral, or interpersonal problems when compared to children from intact families. Even those who don’t have any obvious problems, still experience loss when their parent’s divorce, and must undergo some adjustment when their parents remarry. Today, Rachelle (http://www.stepsforstepmothers.com/coaching.html)talks about remarriage from a child’s...

Divorce and remarriage can be very difficult for children to handle. In fact, twice as many children from divorced families experience academic, behavioral, or interpersonal problems when compared to children from intact families. Even those who don’t have any obvious problems, still experience loss when their parent’s divorce, and must undergo some adjustment when their parents remarry. Today, Rachelle talks about remarriage from a child’s perspective with Ron Deal, a marriage and family...

Are you comfortable having the conversation about money with your partner? Many remarried couples avoid this topic like the plague even though their future security is at stake. Listen to Rachelle (http://www.stepsforstepmothers.com/coaching.html)discuss stepfamily finances with Emily Bouchard (http://emilybouchard.com/), an expert in stepfamily dynamics. Emily Bouchard, MSSW, is a managing partner at Wealth Legacy Group, and founded www.Blended-Families.com...

Are you comfortable having the conversation about money with your partner? Many remarried couples avoid this topic like the plague even though their future security is at stake. Listen to Rachelle discuss stepfamily finances with Emily Bouchard, an expert in stepfamily dynamics. Emily Bouchard, MSSW, is a managing partner at Wealth Legacy Group, and founded www.Blended-Families.com in 2003. She is a Certified Money Coach who addresses the emotional aspects of inheriting and distributing...

Special occasions, like weddings and graduations, are wonderful and joyous milestones that deserve to be celebrated. Vacations are also fun times to spend with family members. For stepfamilies, however, these can be extremely awkward events and can cause a lot of pain and anxiety. Rachelle (http://www.stepsforstepmothers.com/coaching.html) discusses how stepfamilies can navigate both special occasions and vacations with Brenda Snyder (http://www.stepmothersupport.com), a licensed clinical...

Special occasions, like weddings and graduations, are wonderful and joyous milestones that deserve to be celebrated. Vacations are also fun times to spend with family members. For stepfamilies, however, these can be extremely awkward events and can cause a lot of pain and anxiety. Rachelle discusses how stepfamilies can navigate both special occasions and vacations with Brenda Snyder, a licensed clinical social worker in private practice in Peoria, Illinois and a writer for Stepmom Magazine....

If you think bullying is something that only happens on a playground and among kids, think again. Experts say adult bullying is on the rise. We all have heard horror stories about bosses, neighbors, and even adult family members who bully. Rachelle (http://www.stepsforstepmothers.com/coaching.html)and Dianne Martin (http://www.diannemartinandassociates.com), a Canadian social worker, stepfamily expert, and writer for Stepmom Magazine (http://www.stepmommag.com ), discuss the...

If you think bullying is something that only happens on a playground and among kids, think again. Experts say adult bullying is on the rise. We all have heard horror stories about bosses, neighbors, and even adult family members who bully. Rachelle and Dianne Martin, a Canadian social worker, stepfamily expert, and writer for Stepmom Magazine, discuss the problem of adult bullying in stepfamilies and how to best deal with this abuse.

How often do you feel guilty? Many stepfamily members, from remarried dads, stepmothers, to biological mothers are burdened by feelings of guilt, and this can wear a person down in addition to harming their relationships with other family members. Listen to Rachelle Katz (http://www.stepsforstepmothers.com/coaching.html)discuss the negative impact of guilt along with ways to overcome these feelings with Dr. Diana Weiss-Wisdom (http://www.drdianaweiss-wisdom.com/Pages/default.aspx), a...

How often do you feel guilty? Many stepfamily members, from remarried dads, stepmothers, to biological mothers are burdened by feelings of guilt, and this can wear a person down in addition to harming their relationships with other family members. Listen to Rachelle Katz discuss the negative impact of guilt along with ways to overcome these feelings with Dr. Diana Weiss-Wisdom, a licensed psychologist. Dr. Diana Weiss-Wisdom is a Licensed Psychologist, author, and widely followed newspaper...

Every stepfamily is unique, and has its own set of challenges, which is corroborated by the fact that 60 to 75 percent of remarried couples divorce. Listen to Rachelle (http://www.stepsforstepmothers.com/coaching.html)talk to one stepmother, Dina, and be inspired by her story. She has successfully managed to keep her family running smoothly despite having to overcome many obstacles in their path. If she can do it, so can you.

Many remarried dads feel like a deer in the headlights when it comes to parenting their children. They have few role models to turn to for help and advice. Joel Schwartzberg (http://www.bookfordad.com), the author of The 40-Year Old Version: Humoirs of a Divorced Dad is a great resource. He is an award-winning essayist and screenwriter, national champion public speaker and speech coach, law school drop-out, horror fan, divorced father, and former Wheel of Fortune contestant. He was a Head...

Do you ever wonder what therapists really think and feel about the problems their stepfamily clients have, and what changes they would implement to improve their clients’ lives if they had the power to do so? Listen as Rachelle Katz (http://www.stepsforstepmothers.com/coaching.html)and Mary T. Kelly (http://marriedwithbaggage.com), two marriage and family therapists discuss the most common problems remarried couples face, and the solutions that would help these couples lead happier and...

We all know that being a parent is the hardest job in the world; few realize that being a stepparent is just as challenging if not more so. We’re not going to talk about this in the abstract, we’re going to get into the nitty-gritty of what makes being a stepparent so difficult by listening to Rachelle Katz (http://www.stepsforstepmothers.com/coaching.html)coach a stepmother who struggles as she watches her husband and his ex-wife treat her stepson with kids gloves because of his special...

Few people know as much about the lives of stepmothers as Brenda Ockun, founder and publisher of Stepmom Magazine (http://www.stepmommag.com/). She has the inside scoop of what really matters to stepmothers after five years of working with the leading experts in the stepfamily community, and speaking with countless stepmothers on the Stepmom Magazine Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/StepMomMagazine?fref=ts)page. Listen as Brenda discusses the biggest challenges that stepmothers face as...

The words we use are powerful, and shape our attitudes and feelings. “Blended” is one word that negatively affects all stepfamily members. Find out why the word “blended” is so damaging to stepfamilies by listening to our guest, Dr. Wednesday Martin (http://wednesdaymartin.com/)who is a social researcher and author of Stepmonster: A New Look at Why Real Stepmothers Think, Feel, and Act the Way We Do...