Stepmonster

Feeling Insecure & Compared, and Discipline vs. Respect

We've all dealt with some kind of insecurities in our lives, especially in a stepmom role. In this episode, we touch on feedback directly from followers on how they've felt uncertain and insecure. We give you our best advice on how to handle feeling compared, how to be more confident in your role, and how to earn the respect of your stepkids.

Inside a Stepdaughter’s Mind & Things to Avoid for Stepmoms

So many of us wish we knew what it was like to walk a mile in our stepkids' shoes or just hear raw and real feelings from the horse's mouth. What should we do? What should we avoid? What are things we do to make their lives harder or easier? What were the most awkward moments about being in a blended family growing up?  Now, you get the chance. Meet Zoé, Bailey's 20-year-old stepdaughter in this episode. We asked her all the toughest and most awkward questions our audience had for her. She's been a "stepdaughter" officially for almost 3 years but has lived with Bailey for almost 7, in a 50/50 custody living arrangement. 

Mother’s Day as a Stepmom & Unfiltered Feelings About It

Mother's Day gives us mixed feelings. For some of us, it's a day of celebration and time with our family. For others, it's a day filled with sadness and disappointment. With two diverse dynamics, Alyse and Bailey explore Mother's Day both as a stepmom with an "ours" baby and as a childless stepmom. Most importantly, we give YOUR feedback and feelings from Instagram their own light, by reading direct comments from our followers when asked "What does Mother's Day mean to you?"
Lastly, there were two products discussed in this episode, and you can find them here:
Bailey's Favorite Box of Assorted Cards: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08V1415XJ?pd_rd_i=B08V1415XJ&pd_rd_w=DAfz8&pf_rd_p=ee186ce0-6bf7-4893-85b9-f3368b019e0f&pd_rd_wg=kvjG7&pf_rd_r=M1QX6FP58J0SXZZVY3WN&pd_rd_r=e38a857a-4414-4969-a0dd-e1126e70cc31
Kendra Scott Necklace (Bailey's go-to gift for literally any woman who loves jewelry): https://www.kendrascott.com/products/tess-rsg.html?dwvar_tess-rsg_stoneColor=970#start=96

Choosing Happy, InstaMOM Challenges, Boundaries w/ BM, & Instagram Q’s

In this episode, a good friend and fellow stepmom Kali joins us to discuss how she dealt with becoming an InstaMOMMY to her 4 stepkids when she and her husband met, followed by having a child of her own. She also shares with us (and luckily all of you) how she has managed to have a great relationship with the bio mom in her life. Having a great relationship with a bio mom is what we all want, but are there challenges with that too? You betchya. Kali shares with us how she holds boundaries with her husband, stepkids, and biomom to feel peace and harmony in a very complex situation.
Woven throughout this episode are also answers to many of your questions submitted on Instagram. Including (but def not limited to):
Balancing your needs with your stepkids
How to handle disengaging and avoiding feelings of resent towards your stepkids, partner, or bio-parent
Dealing with high-conflict situations & staying sane
How our families embraced our stepkids & what that looks like
Outsider feelings from other "moms"
Avoiding becoming a full mediator between your partner and their ex
Saying "no" more often
The people who say "you knew what you were getting into"

Sneaky Teenagers, Cell Phones, Social Media & Maintaining Sanity

Being a parent to any kid is rewarding and hard all at the same time. But the teenage years? Buckle up, babes. In this episode, we share some of the best stories from our stepkids' teenage years, talk about the challenges with step-parenting and cell phones, social media, ETC. Join us for a few laughs, a few "oh my gosh she did not" moments, and our best tips on how to maintain sane during these years.

Discipline, resent, COVID homeschooling & outsider feelings w/ full-time stepmom Joslynn Flowers

We had the pleasure of having Joslynn Flowers, host of the Daily Stepmom Podcast on this episode, and it was wonderful! Joslynn is a full-time stepmom and brings a different perspective to our listeners. We let all our guards down and talked about disciplining your stepkids, feeling resent as a stepmom, homeschooling during COVID, feeling like an outsider, and just overall had a great chat.

A StepDAD’s Perspective on Love, Challenges, & Embarrassing Stories

This episode is packed full of fun. We'll start off by Bailey finally sharing what her step-daughter found in one of her tampon boxes (WOOPS! Parenting high over here...).  Additionally, have you ever been curious as to whether or not being a stepDAD is just as hard as being a stepMOM? We were too! In this episode, you get the chance to meet Bailey's stepdad, Steve, hear about what it was like coming into a full-time step-parent role, and get to know his story a little more. He'll share tips for knowing your role in the house, talk through challenges during the teenager years, how he grew to love his step-daughter, what it was like having an "ours" baby, knowing when to "keep ya mouth shut", and setting boundaries with discipline, even in a full-time role. 

Handling the Haters

Listen - haters are inevitable as a stepmom. It might be the bio mom who hates you simply for marrying her ex, it might be the kids who resent you for trying to be their new mom, it may even be your husband's family, or anyone in the world. They feel justified in their feelings and we are here to tell you how we handle it all. You can't please everyone, but we need to stay sane and support each other.

Boundaries, No Nips Rules, & ”Alone-time” Mishaps

How do you set boundaries with your stepkids? Your partner? The bio mom? We still aren't sure we have it 100% right, but our stumbles along the way are now for your entertainment. Hear how we set boundaries in our homes to keep sane.  

Bio-Dad Perspectives on Having a Wife & Ex-Wife

There are two sides to every story, and this week, we invited our husbands to tell their side. We dig in with them on what it was like to bring another "mom" into the picture, what some of the challenges they had were, and what advice they might give to others.