Any stepmom will tell you that walking in her shoes is not for the faint of heart, whether she has her own children or has the dreaded “Childless Stepmom” label (that’s another post all together), if she’s a new stepmom or has been pouring into the lives of her stepchildren for years. No matter where she may be in her journey, the consensus is the same: it ain’t easy. I can tell you from my own experience as a stepmom of two boys that it is not an easy life. Hardly anyone chooses this position, rather, it chooses them.

While, for me, the rewards that come with sharing in the responsibility of raising children in a blended family environment outweigh the struggle, the difficulties of this type of life are varied and aren’t always rooted in negativity. Parenting and marriage are hard no matter your family dynamic. Add to that…