Stepfamily
- Dec 9
- 2009
Editor’s Web Note: Favoritism in gift-giving is extremely prevalent at all levels: grandparents, aunts, uncles, the whole extended family is often guilty of ignoring or showing lesser favor to the child(ren) from the “other” marriage. It is considered natural even. But imagine for a moment what would happen if you, a person not even related to those children, were to think of them enough to give them something useful or meaningful as a gift.To include them in your thoughts of “family.” To treat them with equal kindness. The heart-opening potential of this is amazing—on both sides of the coin. Being and having family who love us is what we all want, and children and teens of divorce often feel keenly that they are hangers-on by default. Let’s all try to change that this year.—Lauren
DEAR STRAIGHT TALK: My husband and I have 2 sons ages 10 and 12. I also have a son, 15, from an earlier marriage who I will call Travis. All the boys live with us full time and Travis spends alternating holidays with his dad. The problem is my husband always spends considerably more money at…
- Oct 14
- 2009
Editor’s Web Note: Alcohol is often used to “find out who someone really is”. But is the evil it can lay bare someone’s ‘true’ psychological nature, or is it born of the alcohol? Any insights? Please write us. — Lauren
DEAR STRAIGHT TALK: I’m a 16-year-old girl and my brother is 13. Our alcoholic stepfather gets drunk every night and becomes verbally abusive toward all of us, especially my brother. He screams and yells at him, constantly putting him down and calling him “sissy” and “faggot.” He does not…
- Aug 6
- 2008
DEAR STRAIGHT TALK: I am 39 years old and recently married “Steve,” the man of my dreams. I am now stepmother to his kids, ages 11, 14 and 16, and we have them half the time. This has not been easy for anyone. I have no children of my own, so I’m out of my element, and the kids don’t…
- Dec 13
- 2006
Dear Straight Talk: My husband and I have two children, ages 7 and 9, and we struggle financially. My husband also has a daughter from his first marriage that lives here part-time. “Sarah” is 16 and she has never liked me. Her mother is well-off and Sarah has everything she could ever want.…
- Aug 30
- 2006
Dear Straight Talk: I am the new step-mother of “Greg”, a 12-year-old boy whose biological mother is in the state penitentiary finishing the last months of her ten-year sentence for vehicular homicide. She killed someone while driving drunk. My question is this: How do I parent this child?…
- Dec 14
- 2005
Dear Straight Talk: I will soon be a stepmother and the hot topic in my stepmother’s group is how many presents to buy the stepchildren. Part of the group believes that they should treat all their children equally, buying the same amount of presents (or spending the same amount of money)…
- Jun 29
- 2005
Dear Straight Talk: I’m 13 and my dad just remarried. Now when I’m at my dad’s I share my room with my new stepsister who is 10. I like my stepsister, in fact, she claims I’m her best friend, but we share my bed and she has this annoying habit of sleeping right up next to me. I move, then…