When you think back to when you fell in love with your husband, it’s quite possible that you were drawn to his nurturing father side.

You saw a man who loved his children, who looked at them like they were the apple of his eye. In fact, watching him parent his kids gave you a peek into your future together, as you imagined him looking at you with the same affection, and maybe even at the little baby you hoped to bring into the world together.

But then you merged lives and households and you started observing the areas where his parenting skills weren’t adding up - like, for example, not holding his kids accountable for their behaviors, or not expecting them to take care of simple household tasks. Maybe his lack of parenting has made you feel anxious, taken for granted, or you’ve even feared for the safety of the baby you now have, or hope to have.  And instead of being endearing, his parenting is making you feel helpless and frustrated!

In this podcast episode we’ll be talking about how a stepmom feels when her partner doesn’t handle parenting in a way that makes sense to her.  We’ll address her role and we’ll take a look into our spouse’s mind and consider what is driving them to make the parenting choices they are.

Finally, we’ll share some strategies for you to connect with your spouse in a way that you feel like your needs and desires are acknowledged in a healthy way and you can start parenting as a team.

For more resources, check out NotJustAStepmom.com for blog posts, coaching links, and Heidi's eBook "How to Add an Ours Baby to Your Stepfamily...Without Resentment Getting in the Way," and be sure to follow us on social media!

Schedule a coaching call with Heidi Farrell at notjustastepmom.com/coaching/