When I married my husband,? I set out to be the perfect stepparent. I read all the books, went to the conferences, and worked overtime doing everything right for my stepchildren. But I wasn?t a perfect stepparent. I made a lot of mistakes.?Through 17 years of stepparenting, experience has taught me?that I don?t have to be a perfect stepparent to have stepchildren grow to love me.
So, this year I commit to ?
?1. Let go of the?Stepmom guilt. We all experience it from time to time. We let our mind run away with what we?ve done wrong as a stepparent. Or we compare our stepfamily to our neighbor?s perfectly-blended family and let the criticism begin.?Stepmom guilt comes from the expectation that everything in our home should be perfect. But that?s never going to happen. Instead, why not?let go of unrealistic expectations that keep us bound to guilt when we don?t measure up?
2. Forgive myself when I fail. A defeated stepparent doesn?t parent effectively. When we barrage ourselves with negative self-talk over a poor parenting choice, we continue down a negative path. Forgiving ourselves for less-than-stellar stepparenting moments allows us to begin again with a renewed mind and fresh perspective for our parenting challenges.
3. Seek out support from other stepmoms on hard days. My neighbor is a single parent with two school-aged children. She recognizes her need for help in juggling her responsibilities and seeks out other moms to assist with car pool or after school care when the demands of her work schedule become overwhelming. As stepmoms, it?s helpful to find fellow stepmoms who can offer encouragement or support on hard days. If you haven?t found local stepmoms,?check out the group?on Twitter of? #TwitterStepmoms.
4. Listen to my heart on how to parent my stepchild, instead of others? opinions. It?s easy to run to the phone and ask our best friend what to do when we?re facing a difficult parenting moment, but if we step back and listen to our heart while considering our options, we make better decisions. Considering our stepchild?s personality?as part of the parenting equation allows us to tailor our parenting in a healthier light.
5. Nurture my marriage.?Stepchildren eventually exit the nest. The goal is for the marriage to outlast the stepparenting years.??Good marriages don?t just happen -they require regular nurturing.?I want to continue to?reach beyond an ordinary marriage by being my partner?s biggest fan and most loyal friend.
6. Take time to run, or quilt, or whatever activity works for me to re-group when the stepparenting strain takes over. ?It?s important to re-group and make time for self-care when we?re about to go off the parenting cliff. Balancing stepparenting demands with activities we can look forward and enjoy by ourselves or with others, creates a well-rounded stepparent who can more effectively handle the strains of stepparenting.
As you start a new year, do you have resolutions to consider as a not-so-perfect stepparent? Do you need a mindset do-over that includes room for imperfection and second chances as a stepparent? Perhaps that?s the ticket to success this year on your not-so-perfect stepparenting journey.
Do you have other resolutions to add??Leave me a comment and let me know.
Related Posts:
The Myth of the Perfect Stepparent
Making it Your Best Year Yet
Five Practical Tips for Successful Stepparenting
New Beginnings
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