Spiraling happens to every stepmom. You’re not broken—you’re human. In this episode, Alicia breaks down why stepmoms spiral, when it usually happens, and the steps you can take to calm your nervous system and find your footing again. If you’ve ever felt like your thoughts are racing, your chest is tight, and everything feels like too much, this episode will help you feel safe and grounded.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why spiraling is normal and not a personal failure
• Common triggers that make stepmoms spiral
• Simple, practical tools to stop a spiral and find safety
• How to shift from survival mode into calm confidence

Whether you’re new to stepmom life or years in, this episode will help you find peace in the middle of the chaos.

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Ever wish you could say exactly what’s on your mind to your partner’s ex… but know it’ll only make things worse? In this episode, Alicia shares the concept of an “Ex-Files”—a private place to store your unspoken thoughts, frustrations, and screenshots. Learn why it’s essential for your peace, your relationship, and your stepmom sanity.

You’ll discover:

• What an Ex-Files is and how to set one up
• Why it protects your relationship
• When to use it (and when not to)
• How it helps you release frustration without blowing things up

Create your Ex-Files today and give yourself the gift of peace.

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In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia dives deep into the challenges that come when in-laws stay close to the ex. This dynamic can leave you feeling like the outsider in your own family, causing frustration, jealousy, and insecurity. But how can you cope with these feelings and build healthier boundaries? Tune in as Alicia shares her personal experiences, provides insight into the complex family dynamics, and offers practical advice to navigate these tricky situations with confidence.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• The Hard Reality: As a stepmom, you don’t get to decide who has a relationship with the ex. This loss of control can be hard, but it’s the reality of blended families.
• It’s Not Personal: Just because your in-laws maintain a relationship with the ex doesn’t mean they don’t like you. It’s about family history and dynamics, not about your worth.
• The Emotional Toll: Feelings of jealousy, exclusion, and frustration are common when in-laws stay close with the ex. Alicia shares how to manage these emotions without letting them control you.
• Competing Loyalties: In-laws are walking a fine line between supporting their child (your partner) and maintaining relationships with the ex for the sake of the kids. It’s important to understand their position without taking it personally.
• Healthy Communication and Boundaries: Learn how to communicate your feelings to your partner and establish boundaries that work for your relationship. Find ways to navigate family gatherings and sensitive situations without feeling like the “outsider.”
• Developing Your Own Relationship with In-Laws: Alicia offers tips on how to build a connection with your in-laws separate from the ex. This can help you feel more secure in your role as a stepmom.

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What do you do when someone says, "Just take a break," but you're knee-deep in dinner, the ex is texting, your stepkid is criticizing your cooking, and you’re one eye twitch away from totally losing it?

In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia is getting real about how to handle stress when stepping back isn’t an option. Spoiler: she’s not about to suggest you go meditate in the pantry—unless that’s the only room with a door that locks.

You’ll walk away with practical tools to regulate your emotions in the moment, ride the emotional storm without burning your house down (literally or metaphorically), and talk about the aftermath without spiraling into a fight. This is the stress survival guide every stepmom needs.

Resources & Links:

Join The Stepmom Side Community for coaching, connection, and “I get it” vibes: aliciakrasko.com/community

Ready to work through your resentment? Get instant access to the Resentment to Relief course: aliciakrasko.com/relief

Want private support? Apply for 1:1 coaching: aliciakrasko.com/coaching

Want a specific topic covered? Let me know here.
After you listen to this, tag me on Instagram @aliciakrasko and let me know what you think!
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Want to learn more about The Stepmom Side community? Here's where you get all the info. Looking forward to connecting with you on the inside.
All things Alicia visit www.aliciakrasko.com
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This honest and empowering episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast dives deep into how codependency shows up uniquely in the stepmom experience. From emotional overfunctioning and people-pleasing to the fear of abandonment and control, Alicia shares real talk from her own life, plus tools you can use to start healing. If you've ever felt like your value is tied to how much you give—or that you're doing way more emotional labor than anyone else—this episode is your sign to pause, reflect, and start taking back your emotional power. Learn how your childhood patterns may be impacting your role now, what boundaries look like in real time, and why reclaiming your identity matters more than ever.

Highlights of this episode:

• What codependency actually is
• Why stepmoms are especially vulnerable to it
• The real-life signs you're stuck in people-pleasing
• How to begin creating space for your own needs again
• Permission to stop over-functioning in your blended family

Resources mentioned:

Episode #98: Feeling Powerless as a Stepmom? It Might be the Victim Mindset

Codependency by Psychology Today

Episode #106: Why Stepmoms and Their Partners Keep Having the Same Fights with Annmarie Chereso

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What if conflict isn't the problem—but the portal? In this raw and real episode, Alicia is joined by Annmarie, a fellow stepmom and conflict resolution ninja, to unpack what’s really going on underneath the same old fights. (Spoiler: It’s not about the dishes.)

They dig into:

• Why your drama triangle has assigned seating
• How to tell if you're reacting from love or fear
• What your partner’s defensiveness actually means (it’s not about you… kinda)
• Why kids shapeshift between houses and how it’s not personal
• Using conflict as a gateway to unconditional love and radical self-awareness

Whether you’re blowing up over socks on the floor or questioning your entire role in the stepfamily, this conversation is your loving slap-in-the-face reminder that healing is hard, but worth it.

Connect with Annmarie:

www.annmariechereso.me

Quiz: What's Fueling Conflict in Your Relationship?

Instagram

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This episode is a raw, unfiltered Ask Me Anything from the stepmom trenches (on Instagram). Alicia gets real about some of the most vulnerable (and let’s be honest, slightly rage-inducing) questions stepmoms are dealing with—like:

• “Why do I feel like I won’t be good enough until we have a kid together?”
• “Will I ever feel relaxed around the ex?”
• “How the hell do I let go of the hate and bitterness?”
• “Am I the only one who dreads vacations with the stepkids?”
• “How much are we spending on legal fees for this chaos!?”

If you’ve ever googled “how to get divorced from your stepmom role,” this episode is your permission slip to breathe, laugh, and get some damn clarity.

What You'll Hear:

• The emotional pressure stepmoms feel to have an “ours baby” to feel equal
• The real reason being around her (the mom) makes your skin crawl
• Why venting to your partner about the ex might be making things worse
• The truth about high-conflict coparents and why peace might not be the goal
• How to survive vacation chaos without lighting everything on fire
• The shocking (and sickening) cost of legal fees for blended families

If you've ever asked yourself, “Is it just me?”—it’s not. And Alicia’s got stories and truth bombs to prove it.

Resources Mentioned:

• Mastering Stressors (Free Guide)
  Learn how to slow your reaction, shift your mindset, and feel like you're back in control again.
  👉 aliciakrasko.com/stressors

Join the Community:

Need a space to vent, heal, and figure this whole stepmom thing out without being judged? Come join the chaos-free zone inside The Stepmom Side Community.

Want a specific topic covered? Let me know here.
After you listen to this, tag me on Instagram @aliciakrasko and let me know what you think!
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Want to learn more about The Stepmom Side community? Here's where you get all the info. Looking forward to connecting with you on the inside.
All things Alicia visit www.aliciakrasko.com
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Transition days. You know, the ones where your quiet, clean house suddenly turns into a full-blown chaos factory. Whether your stepkids are arriving for the weekend, the week, or every other Tuesday, transition days can bring stress, overstimulation, and a whole lot of feelings you didn’t expect. In this episode, Alicia is answering real questions submitted through her Instagram broadcast channel from stepmoms just like you who are trying to survive the emotional rollercoaster of blended family life.

From feeling totally withdrawn to dealing with a stepkid who “hates you” on day one, Alicia breaks down what’s normal (spoiler alert: a lot more than you think), how to communicate your needs to your partner without starting WWIII, and how to stop shrinking yourself just to keep the peace.

You’ll also hear how transition day stress affects your relationship, your mental health, and why a simple routine—yes, even just ordering Chinese food—can be the thing that brings everyone back to center.

In this episode:

• What’s actually normal on transition days
• How to communicate your overwhelmed energy to your spouse without sounding like you hate everyone
• Helping your stepkid process anxiety about going back to their mom’s house
• What to do when your stepchild seems to hate you the second they walk in
• Navigating the shift in your relationship when the house gets fuller (and louder)
• How not to lose your own damn mind in the process

Resources Mentioned:

• 🎁 Freebie: Mastering the Stressors – A stepmom’s guide to identifying what’s really causing stress and finding a better way to respond
• 🎧 Episode 67: The Stepmom Specific Anxiety No One Talks About – Why you feel it and how to manage it
• 🎧 Episode 96: Documenting for Court: Protecting Your Peace in High Conflict Coparenting with Nika Chadwick
• 💬 Join the Instagram Broadcast Channel to weigh in on future episodes and get support in real time

Want a specific topic covered? Let me know here.
After you listen to this, tag me on Instagram @aliciakrasko and let me know what you think!
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Want to learn more about The Stepmom Side community? Here's where you get all the info. Looking forward to connecting with you on the inside.
All things Alicia visit www.aliciakrasko.com
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Alicia gets real about what it means to support your partner through parenting challenges. From learning when to speak up to knowing when to simply listen, Alicia shares personal stories and practical tips for navigating these tough moments with love and patience. This episode is for anyone who's ever struggled with how to show up for their spouse without stepping on toes—or losing themselves in the process.

Plus, Alicia shares how couples coaching can help partners reconnect and communicate better, especially during high-stress parenting seasons.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Alicia’s personal story of learning to support without “fixing”
• How to ask the right question: “Do you want support or solutions?”
• Understanding emotional triggers in your partner
• When to talk, when to listen, and when to step back
• Couples Coaching – application-only access Apply here

Want a specific topic covered? Let me know here.
After you listen to this, tag me on Instagram @aliciakrasko and let me know what you think!
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Want to learn more about The Stepmom Side community? Here's where you get all the info. Looking forward to connecting with you on the inside.
All things Alicia visit www.aliciakrasko.com
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In this deeply relatable solo episode, Alicia opens up about a struggle so many stepmoms face but rarely talk about—what it feels like to miss out on the “firsts.” First marriage, first baby, first home, first big life moments with your partner... when you weren’t part of those, it can trigger deep feelings of jealousy, insecurity, and even grief.

Alicia shares a powerful personal story from early in her marriage—when she felt so second-best and confused that she literally googled “how to get divorced.” She also responds to a heartfelt message from a listener who’s in the thick of those feelings, despite having a kind and supportive partner.

This episode offers a step-by-step practical approach for navigating the emotional weight of not being the first, including:

• How to build confidence in your role as a stepmom—even when you feel like you’re living in someone else’s shadow
• Why it’s important to acknowledge the ache of not having your own child (yet or at all), and how that grief is valid and real
• The underrated role of time in healing and shifting perspective, with a beautiful quote from The Stepmom Side community that reframes what “firsts” really mean

If you’ve ever felt like your partner’s “second chance,” this episode will remind you that you’re actually his current choice—and that you’re creating a story together that is no less meaningful.

What You’ll Walk Away With:

• Permission to feel your feelings without guilt or shame
• Reassurance that you're not crazy, broken, or alone
• Tools for reframing missed firsts and celebrating the new “firsts” you're building now
• Language to ask your partner for reassurance in moments of doubt

Stepmom, you are not second best.
You’re just second chronologically—and there’s a big difference.

🎧 Tune in now and let Alicia walk with you through this common but rarely named experience.

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After you listen to this, tag me on Instagram @aliciakrasko and let me know what you think!
Get all the FREE RESOURCES here.
Want to learn more about The Stepmom Side community? Here's where you get all the info. Looking forward to connecting with you on the inside.
All things Alicia visit www.aliciakrasko.com
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