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Tiny Pep Talks for Stepparents

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Because stepparents start out as outsiders, we have this tendency to kind of hover around on the sidelines, like we’re waiting for someone to give us permission to participate in our new families. Or maybe we want someone to fill us in on the rules of this new game so we don’t piss anybody off. This can happen even for stepparents like myself who aren’t typically the kind of people who worry about rocking the boat.

So speaking from personal experience on this, please do not wait around for anyone else’s stamp of approval. Because if you’re hoping that the kids or your partner’s ex are gonna co-sign on you being around, you could be waiting a loooong time. The only two people who determine the future of this relationship are you and your partner.

Now, if you’re having trouble getting on the same page as your partner, that’s a pep talk for a different day (this workshop might help: ➡️ HOW TO ACTUALLY BLEND: THE MISSING INSTRUCTION MANUAL FOR STEPCOUPLES 👀 ) — but in the meantime, at the very least try to set aside the stress over gaining your stepkid’s approval… or the approval of anyone else. Focus on getting a solid foundation in place with your partner first, and the rest will fall into place a whole lot easier.

One last thing: if you’re enjoying this podcast, I’d really appreciate if you’d leave a review! Reviews not only help me feel like I’m not shouting into the void, they also give us a little algorithm bump, which in turn will help more struggling stepparents find their way here. Thanks so much for listening, I appreciate you! xo

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🧡 Need a bigger pep talk? Start here or join us over on Substack! xo