The Stepmom Diaries | Blended Family & Stepmom Support Podcast

Have you ever left therapy feeling heard, but not truly understood?

Maybe you were told to be more patient, create more family togetherness, present a united front, or step up and discipline your stepchildren. You followed the advice, and somehow things got even harder.

That does not mean you failed.

In this episode of The Stepmom Diaries, Cameron explains why therapy for stepfamilies can go sideways when professionals apply advice designed for first families to blended families.

Most therapists are not given meaningful training in stepfamily dynamics during graduate school or through continuing education. As a result, even a skilled and caring therapist may be working from the wrong family map.

Cameron breaks down the gap between what research tells us about stepfamilies and what actually reaches the professionals supporting them. She also shares four practical questions you can ask to determine whether a therapist understands how stepfamilies really work.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why traditional family therapy advice can make stepfamily challenges worse

• How stepfamily relationships develop differently from relationships in first families

• Four questions to ask a therapist about their stepfamily training and approach

• What a healthy and realistic stepparent and stepchild relationship can look like

The goal is not to criticize therapy or convince you to leave a therapist you trust. It is to help you recognize whether your family is receiving advice that reflects the research on stepfamily development.

You are not failing because advice created for a different kind of family did not work for yours. You may simply need a therapist who understands the unique structure, pace, and challenges of stepfamily life.

• Upgrade your bedtime with Cozy Earth's temperature-regulating bamboo sheets and pajamas, and use code STEPMOMDIARIES at CozyEarth.com for up to 20% off.
• Patricia Papernow's research and clinical work on stepfamily development
• Todd Jensen's research on stepfamilies and the gap between research and professional practice
• Patricia Papernow's clinical book for professionals working with stepfamilies
• Stepfamily Solutions and its evidence-based approach to stepfamily coaching
• Ready to feel less alone in your stepfamily journey? Join thousands of stepmoms at the FREE 2026 Stepmom Summit for expert advice, real conversations, and practical tools to help you thrive: https://thestepmomsummit.com/

If you are a stepmom, you know how loud the guilt can get and how quiet you may have learned to be.

But with 14 million stepmoms in America, you have never been as alone as it feels.

The 6th annual Stepmom Summit is back September 14 through 18, 2026, and this year's theme is Out Loud. It is time to find your voice, take your place, and live your life loud and proud.

This free, 100% virtual and 100% live event features more than 30 speakers sharing honest conversations, practical tools, and real support for stepmoms. You will also have the opportunity to ask speakers your questions in real time.

Join the waitlist now and be first in line when registration opens August 24.

Visit www.thestepmomsummit.com to get on the waitlist.

When you became a stepmom, you probably expected your life to change.

What you may not have expected was how easy it would be to lose yourself in the process.

Between navigating stepfamily dynamics, supporting your partner, caring for children, managing schedules, and trying to keep the peace, many stepmoms quietly put their own dreams, interests, and identity on hold.

In this episode, Cameron sits down with former Apple executive, creator of Whole Wellness Mamas, and speaker Amy Nesbitt to explore how curiosity can become one of the most powerful tools for rediscovering yourself. Rather than making massive life changes, Amy shares how small "experiments" can help you reconnect with the person you've always been—and maybe even discover someone new.

They also discuss how curiosity can improve marriages, strengthen relationships with stepchildren, reduce conflict, and help blended families communicate with more empathy.

• Why so many stepmoms lose their identity after joining a blended family

• How curiosity helps you reconnect with yourself

• The power of tiny experiments instead of overwhelming life changes

• Practical ways to make time for yourself without guilt

• Simple ways to connect with your stepchildren through shared experiences

• How curiosity can reduce conflict in stepfamily dynamics

Whether you've been a stepmom for six months or sixteen years, this conversation will remind you that rediscovering yourself doesn't require changing your entire life- it simply begins with being curious.

• Learn more about Amy Nesbitt: https://wholewellnessmamas.com

• Follow Amy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wholewellnessmamas

• This Japanese American Life YouTube Channel

• Amy Reads YouTube Channel

• Join the waitlist for The Stepmom Summit: https://thestepmomsummit.com

• Free Resource: Download our 10 Essential Scripts for Stepmoms https://stepfamilycertification.com/stepmom-scripts

Please consider rating and reviewing The Stepmom Diaries on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Your feedback helps the show grow and reach more blended families who need honest conversations like this one.

Finding your stepmom identity can feel overwhelming, especially when you are trying to figure out where you fit in your blended family. Bestselling author Amy Porterfield knows that feeling well. Long before she became one of the world's most recognized business educators, she was learning the same lessons so many stepmoms face today.

In this candid conversation, Amy opens up about the emotional journey of discovering her stepmom identity. She shares what it was like trying to earn her stepson's love, the pressure she felt to be the "perfect" stepmom, and the moment she realized she did not need to replace his mom to build a meaningful relationship.

If you have ever questioned your place in your blended family or wondered whether you are doing enough, this episode will remind you that your stepmom identity is not something you earn. It is something you grow into over time.

• Why developing your stepmom identity takes time and why that is completely normal.

• How to build a meaningful relationship with your stepchildren without trying to replace their mom.

• Why perfectionism keeps so many stepmoms from feeling confident in their role.

• How embracing your unique place in your blended family leads to stronger relationships.

• Amy Porterfield

• Get your copy of Two Weeks Notice

• The Amy Porterfield Show podcast

• Ready to feel less alone in your stepfamily journey? Join thousands of stepmoms at the FREE 2026 Stepmom Summit for expert advice, real conversations, and practical tools to help you thrive: https://thestepmomsummit.com/

• Free Resource: 10 Essential Scripts for Stepmoms: https://stepfamilycertification.com/stepmom-scripts

Please consider rating and reviewing The Stepmom Diaries on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Your feedback helps the show grow and reach more blended families who need honest conversations like this one.

One day your stepchild is excited to see you and your spouse... and the next they're distant, angry, or refusing visits altogether.

Is it normal family conflict? Is it the stress of divorce? Or could it be parental alienation?

In this episode, Cameron sits down with internationally recognized researcher and author Amy J.L. Baker, PhD, to unpack one of the most misunderstood topics in divorce and blended families. Together, they discuss what parental alienation really is, how it differs from legitimate estrangement, and what parents and stepparents should know if they suspect someone is interfering with a child's relationship with the other parent.

Dr. Baker also explains her evidence-based Five-Factor Model, common parental alienation strategies, and how stepparents can support their partner without making an already difficult situation worse.

• What parental alienation actually is, and what it isn't

• The difference between alienation and justified estrangement

• The Five-Factor Model used to identify parental alienation

• Common strategies that can damage a parent-child relationship

If this episode encouraged or helped you, please share it with another stepmom, parent, or blended family who may need to hear this conversation.

Amy J.L. Baker, PhD: https://www.amyjlbaker.com/

Adult Children of Parental Alienation Syndrome by Amy J.L. Baker

Ready to feel less alone in your stepfamily journey? Join thousands of stepmoms at the FREE 2026 Stepmom Summit for expert advice, real conversations, and practical tools to help you thrive: https://thestepmomsummit.com/

Free Resource: 10 Essential Scripts for Stepmoms: https://stepfamilycertification.com/stepmom-scripts

Please consider rating and reviewing The Stepmom Diaries on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Your feedback helps the show grow and reach more blended families who need honest conversations like this one.

Are you the one tracking the dentist appointments, school forms, birthday gifts, custody schedules, groceries, and all the details everyone else seems to forget?

That invisible work has a name: the mental load.

In this episode of The Stepmom Diaries, I'm sharing my conversation with Eve Rodsky, New York Times bestselling author of Fair Play and Find Your Unicorn Space. We talk about the mental load in blended families and why so many stepmoms feel exhausted from carrying invisible labor no one else sees.

This conversation is honest, validating, and so needed for stepmoms who feel like they are holding everything together behind the scenes.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why stepmoms often carry the invisible labor

• How the mental load shows up differently in blended families

• Why boundaries and communication have to come before systems

• The real antidote to burnout

Resources Mentioned

Fair Play by Eve Rodsky

Find Your Unicorn Space by Eve Rodsky

Fair Play Cards

Follow Eve on Instagram

Get our free Stepmom Scripts Guide with real-life scripts for common stepfamily conversations: https://stepfamilycertification.com/stepmom-scripts

Get on the waitlist for The Stepmom Summit happening September 14th-18th, 2026!

Love The Stepmom Diaries? Please rate and review the podcast on Apple or Spotify. Your support helps us reach more blended families who need honest conversations like this one.

We've all been there.

Someone makes a comment about being a stepmom that they probably mean well... but it still stings.

"You knew what you were getting into." "At least you get a break." "They're not really your kids."

In the moment, it's hard to know what to say. Later, you think of the perfect response.

This listener-favorite replay is packed with practical, gracious ways to respond to some of the most common (and frustrating) comments stepmoms hear—while also helping friends and family better understand the realities of blended family life.

Whether you're new to your stepfamily or years into the journey, this episode will help you navigate these awkward conversations with confidence and compassion.

• Why "You knew what you were getting into" misses the reality of stepfamily life

• Thoughtful responses to common stepmom comments

• How to respond to friends and family without becoming defensive

• Ways to protect your peace while building stronger relationships

If this episode encourages you, please share it with another stepmom who needs the reminder that she's not alone.

Grab our FREE "10 Essential Scripts for Stepmoms": https://stepfamilycertification.com/stepmom-scripts

Please consider rating and reviewing The Stepmom Diaries on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Your feedback helps the show grow and reach more blended families who need honest conversations like this one.

Have you ever realized that the things that make a family look different on the outside don't change what matters most on the inside?

In this episode, I sit down with Jaimie Kelton and José Rolón to talk about LGBTQ families, parenting, belonging, and the many ways families are built. From infertility and surrogacy to stepfamily dynamics and family acceptance, we explore the challenges and joys of creating a family that may not fit society's traditional expectations.

What stood out most in this conversation is how much LGBTQ families and blended families have in common. The desire to love, connect, belong, and create a safe home for our children is universal.

In this episode, we cover:

• The unique paths many LGBTQ families take to parenthood • Why representation and visibility matter for kids and families • The double standards faced by stepmoms, stepdads, and modern families • How to teach children about different family structures with openness and acceptance

If this episode resonates with you, share it with a friend and help us continue creating conversations that celebrate all kinds of families.

Resources Mentioned

Follow Love Take Two Podcast

The Queer Family Podcast

Follow José Rolón on Instagram @NYCGayDad

https://www.instagram.com/thequeerfamilypodcast/

Get our free Stepmom Scripts Guide with real-life scripts for common stepfamily conversations: https://stepfamilycertification.com/stepmom-scripts

Love The Stepmom Diaries?

Please consider rating and reviewing The Stepmom Diaries on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your support helps us reach more blended families looking for practical guidance, validation, and encouragement.

Ever feel like your stepkids are living in two completely different worlds? The rules change from house to house, expectations don't always match, and somehow everyone expects the kids to make sense of it all.

In this episode, I sit down with researcher, professor, stepmom, and former stepchild Bailey Oliver Blackburn, PhD to discuss new research on co-parenting with different values and what happens when children are navigating two households with very different beliefs, expectations, and parenting styles.

Bailey shares insights from a recent study exploring how co-parents manage divergent values, the impact on children, and the communication strategies that help families reduce conflict and support kids without forcing them to choose sides.

• What happens when children are raised across households with different values and beliefs • The surprising challenges families reported beyond politics and religion • How parents can discuss values without putting kids in loyalty binds • Why high-conflict co-parenting and parallel parenting deserve more research

If you've ever wondered how to protect your relationship with your stepkids while navigating differences between households, this conversation offers practical insights and plenty of reassurance that you're not alone.

Bailey Oliver Blackburn: https://www.baileyoliverblackburn.com

UA Little Rock Department of Applied Communication: https://ualr.edu/appliedcommunication/

Get our FREE 10 Essential Scripts for Stepmoms and get the exact words for your toughest stepmom conversations! https://stepfamilycertification.com/stepmom-scripts

Join the waitlist for our free Stepmom Summit happening virtually September 14th-18th, 2026: https://thestepmomsummit.com/

Please consider rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your support helps us reach more stepmoms and blended families who need these conversations.

Ever feel like you're carrying everyone else's responsibilities while somehow still feeling like you're failing? Yeah... you're not alone.

In this episode, I'm chatting with organizational expert and Escaping Quicksand author Lisa Woodruff to talk about why so many overwhelmed stepmoms feel like they're drowning, even when they're doing everything right.

We dive into the invisible load many women carry, the unique challenge of having responsibility without control in a blended family, and practical ways to create more peace, structure, and boundaries in your daily life.

• Why stepmoms often feel responsible for everything but in control of very little

• The invisible mental load that contributes to stepmom burnout

• How weekly planning conversations can reduce stress and resentment

• Simple ways to reclaim control and prioritize your own self-care

• Get Lisa's book Escaping Quicksand: https://escapingquicksand.com

• Organize 365: Practical organization systems, planning tools, and resources designed to help busy women reduce overwhelm and create a more functional home and life.

• Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn: Follow Lisa Woodruff for insights on organization, productivity, household management, and personal development.

• Follow Organize 365 on Instagram

• Get our free Stepmom Scripts Guide with real-life scripts for common stepfamily conversations: https://stepfamilycertification.com/stepmom-scripts

Love The Stepmom Diaries?

Please consider rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your support helps us reach more blended families who need these conversations.