He loves her. She loves him. But his kids hate her. Or bait her. Or ignore her altogether. She's the stepmother, and sometimes she feels as if she's never played a more thankless role. It doesn't have to be that way. With this book, the stepmother will find the advice she needs to win over even the most resistant children. This honest, practical guide written by a therapist and stepmother who's been there shows stepmothers the best ways to handle the most challenging situations, including how to: - Get off on the right foot from "hello"
- Build a relationship with each child
- Share Daddy with his children
- Define boundaries as a couple
- Negotiate issues with Dad as well as the kids
- Deal with their "real" mom
- Survive holidays, birthdays, and school vacations
- Create family rituals
With this book, millions of stepmothers find the strategies they need to safeguard their new marriage and establish a happy, peaceful new blended family. Stan Wenck, PhD (Fisher, IN), is a clinical psychologist and university professor who has dealt with accounts of relationship disputes and disasters involving stepmothers, stepfathers, and stepchildren. As a divorced stepparent himself, Wenck knows firsthand the experience of being a stepdad to three teenage stepsons and dealing with the dilemmas between his two teenage daughters and their stepmother. Connie J. Hansen, MS (Elkhart, IN), is a teacher who has used her background in communications and theatre to help students who have families with either one parent or stepparents. In working closely with these students and their families, she has observed the difficult challenges of making families blend together. Hansen also dealt with the experience of divorce and remarriage then lived the joys and trials of stepparenting.
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