My step sons mother and I are great friends and routinely talk every day about random things and adds in contact constantly. My step son went on a 2.5 month vacation with her parents and he got back and nonchalantly told my husband and I that his grandfather yelled at him to the point of him crying because he was asking to talk to me the entire 2.5 months he was away. I asked her about it because you can’t take kids words for detail. She said it was true that her father did in fact yell at... Advice needed or input ..read more

My man and I have been together for over five years. When we got together, his daughter was barely talking and still in diapers. She has had ample time to get to know me and not act so jealous and competitive. Especially when I spoil her absolutely rotten. I love her dearly. However , I can't hug my man without her trying to hug him at the same time. Every time he playfully smacks my butt when he walks by , she gets jealous. ( Seriously. I hate that I am even having to use that word. )... How to deal with a competitive step daughter ..read more

I'm tired of there being another person in our small house, and a room that we can never use because it's his. I'm tired of the money for the braces and the traveling and the vacations and the presents and the constant treats, and of being the bad guy if I try to set any limits. I'm tired of the mouthing off and the pee on the toilet seat (when it's down, that is) and the towels and dishes on the floor and the sugar all over the kitchen counter and the wet clothes dripping all over the... I'm tired of being a stepparent (VENT ..read more

I'm having a really hard time with some feelings right now. I know I will likely get flamed for this... because I have been flaming myself. I do not like being a Stepmom. I hate having my whole life controlled by circumstance. I hate that all of my holidays have to be planned around a visitation schedule. I hate that my world can be turned upside down every other week by someone else's choice. How do you... Do you ever feel trapped ..read more

I am not sure how to word it for the title. lol. I need some program or something to plug all this visitation data into to spit out a calendar so i dont have to burst my brain figuring it out. anybody have a link to a free calendar like that? yk, alternating holidays on odd years etc. just plug in the data and out comes a calendar with it all listed for you? just hoping ..read more

My partner has a 12 year-old son who is an only child. He seems to think that he should know everything that happens in the household. I know he goes through our things (We have started keeping "adult" items in a locked suitcase) and when my partner and I want to be alone in our room even just to talk he is right there at the door wanting to be in on every detail. I have four children of my own and he can't stand it when I have a private conversation with one of them. When one of my... How to deal with a nosey stepchild ..read more

what did everyone do? court house? big wedding, small wedding? We financially cannot afford a ton, but even when thinking of a small wedding the amount starts to add up fast. We likely will be getting married end of this year but nothing set in stone yet, (because money doesnt grow on trees!) also part of me feels guilty spending a lot of money on a wedding like it is taking away from the family unit. But we want to do something more than just a courthouse wedding ..read more

Greetings! Here's a bit of an unusual question and wondering if anyone has any thoughts. I am a single divorced dad sharing custody of two toddler girls with my ex. We co-parent and have a good relationship. I am considering having a third child through IVF+surrogacy, and I'm wondering if I should have a boy. I love girls and would love a third girl, but I worry that she will feel left out when her sisters are at my ex's house. Perhaps it's silly but I wonder maybe if I have a boy, it... Having a child whose siblings share custody with ex ..read more

My 25 yr old step daughter wants my husband and I to hang out with her mother and her husband. The mother is toxic and we are very different. Should we comply to give her “peace” or set boundaries to protect our marriage. We’ve been married for 15 years. The mother and her husband moved to our hometown a year ago. Why is my step daughter pushing for this. My husband and I know this is a bad idea, but she’s going to pout until we comply. I feel manipulated and held hostage. Advise... After 14 years of marriage, my adult step daughter wants us to hang out with her mom ..read more

My daughter is 12 and for the last 8 or so years she has split time between our house (dad/step-mom) and her mom's/step-dads. We have joint custody and 50/50 parenting time, and my daughter is happy at both houses. Out of the blue her step-dad decided to accept a position across country, and up until now the understanding was that we'd all live in the area given the week on week off schedule. They are now considering moving despite the issues it will create. I hear about schedules where... Daughter's Mom Looking to Move Across Country ..read more