Alicia dives into one of the most confusing and emotionally triggering experiences for stepmoms: why stepchildren suddenly act distant, avoidant, or completely different when their other parent is around.

If you’ve ever felt ignored at pickup, brushed off in public, or like your relationship disappears the moment their other parent enters the picture… you are not imagining it. And more importantly—it’s not rejection.

This episode breaks down the concept of loyalty binds in stepfamily dynamics and explains why children may feel torn between showing love to their stepmom and protecting their relationship at the other house. Even in healthy, connected relationships, kids can shift their behavior depending on the environment, leaving stepmoms feeling confused, hurt, and questioning everything.

Alicia walks you through:

• What a loyalty bind is and why it happens in blended families
• Why your stepchild’s behavior changes between homes
• The why behind emotional “switching” and adaptive behavior
• What stepmoms often take personally—but shouldn’t
• How to respond in a way that builds trust and emotional safety

This episode will help you stop overanalyzing your stepchild’s behavior and start understanding what’s actually happening beneath the surface.

Because it’s not rejection.
It’s emotional survival.

If you’re a stepmom navigating complex family dynamics, co-parenting stress, or feeling like an outsider in your own home, this episode will give you clarity, relief, and a completely new perspective.

If this episode resonated with you, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to figure this out by yourself. Come join us inside The Stepmom Side Community!

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Stepmother’s Day—did you even know it existed?

In this episode of, Alicia dives into the emotional complexity of Stepmother’s Day—a holiday created in 2000 a nine year old to honor her stepmom. While the intention behind the day is meaningful, the reality for many stepmoms is… complicated.

Alicia unpacks the mixed emotions stepmoms experience around Stepmother’s Day and challenges stepmoms to rethink how they approach this day. Instead of waiting for others to get it right, Alicia encourages listeners to take ownership of what Stepmother’s Day means to them—whether that’s celebrating, setting expectations, or choosing to ignore it altogether.

If you’ve ever felt invisible in your role, questioned whether you “count,” or wished your partner understood what you do—this episode will make you feel seen, validated, and empowered to speak up.

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Mother’s Day can be one of the most confusing—and painful—holidays for stepmoms.

You show up. You support your partner. You help raise kids who aren’t biologically yours. You carry emotional labor, household responsibilities, and the invisible weight of stepfamily dynamics…

…and then Mother’s Day rolls around and you feel completely overlooked.

In this episode, Alicia dives into the emotional reality of Mother’s Day for stepmoms—especially those who are childfree or childless. If you’ve ever felt forgotten, awkward, resentful, or unsure of your place on this holiday, you are not alone.

This episode will help you:

• Understand why Mother’s Day feels so triggering and complicated as a stepmom
• Break out of the silent expectation trap that leads to disappointment
• Learn how to communicate what you want (yes… even if it feels uncomfortable)
• Explore ways to celebrate yourself—without waiting for someone else to do it
• Navigate grief and complex emotions as a childless stepmom
• Reclaim your power and define your role on your terms

Whether you want to feel appreciated, create your own plan, or simply survive the day without spiraling, this episode gives you practical tools and a powerful mindset shift.

Because you don’t need permission to matter in your home.

And you don’t have to keep feeling invisible.

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Want a specific topic covered? Let me know here.
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In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia is joined by Monica Tanner to talk about how to reignite connection and intimacy in blended families, why stepfamily myths can damage marriages, and what couples can do to create a stronger, healthier relationship.

They dive into one of the most controversial but important ideas in blended family life: why the couple relationship has to be the priority. Monica explains what that actually looks like in real life, how to support your partner without making it a competition with the kids, and why children benefit from seeing a healthy relationship modeled in the home.

One of the most powerful parts of this episode is Monica’s explanation of repair in relationships. She breaks down what repair means, how couples can come back together after conflict, and why healthy relationships are not conflict-free—they are built through harmony, disharmony, and repair.

If you are a stepmom feeling disconnected in your marriage, exhausted by blended family stress, or unsure how to rebuild closeness with your partner, this episode will remind you that healthy relationships are built, not found.

In this episode:

• How to rebuild connection and intimacy in blended families
• The myth that kids should always come before the marriage
• What it means to make the relationship the priority without neglecting the children
• Why stepfamily structure and united parenting matter

Connect with Monica:

www.monicatanner.com

On Instagram

On YouTube

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Want a specific topic covered? Let me know here.
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Trigger warning: miscarriage 

Infertility is hard. Being a stepmom is hard. Put the two together? Yeah… it’s a whole different level that no one really prepares you for.

In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia sits down with Kristen Skiles to have an honest, emotional, and empowering conversation about infertility as a stepmom—including the heartbreak of a failed IUI cycle.

They dive into the layered experience of wanting a baby while already being a parent figure, the guilt that can come with that, and the identity shifts that happen when motherhood doesn’t look the way you thought it would.

This conversation is for the stepmom who feels torn between gratitude and grief… who loves her stepkids but still deeply wants a child of her own… and who wonders if she’s allowed to feel both.

Inside this episode, you’ll hear:

• What infertility feels like specifically as a stepmom
• The emotional impact of a failed IUI cycle
• The guilt, comparison, and identity struggles no one talks about
• How infertility can affect your relationship with your partner
• Mindset shifts that help you cope during the hardest moments
• How to hold grief and gratitude at the same time
• A new way to define motherhood beyond biology

If you’ve ever thought, “Why is this so hard for me when I already have stepkids?” or “Will I ever feel at peace with this?”—you are not alone.

This episode will help you feel seen, understood, and a little less alone in your journey.

Connect with Kristin:

www.stepmomming.com
Stepmomming Made Easy (Book on Amazon)
On Instagram
On Facebook
On Pinterest

Register here for StepmomCon 

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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 episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia talks with Sol Kennedy, founder of the Best Interest co-parenting app, about high-conflict co-parenting, family court, co-parent communication, and how AI can help parents reduce conflict.

Sol shares how his own divorce and co-parenting experience led him to create an app that acts like a buffer between toxic messages and reactive responses. They talk about why the family court system can feel emotionally brutal, how co-parenting apps are usually built for documentation instead of actual peace, and why so many parents and stepparents feel completely drained by ongoing conflict with an ex.

If you are navigating divorce, co-parenting stress, stepparent overwhelm, custody issues, or constant conflict with an ex, this episode will help you think differently about communication, boundaries, and protecting your peace.

In this episode, Alicia and Sol discuss:

• High-conflict co-parenting and emotional triggers
• How AI can support calmer co-parent communication
• The role of co-parenting apps in reducing conflict
• How stepparents absorb stress from bio-parent conflict
• Why “being the bigger person” feels exhausting
• How slowing down communication can protect your peace

Connect with Sol Kennedy:

[email protected]

Use code STEPMOMSIDE - $10 off a Protect subscription

Best Interest App on iOS 

Best Interest App on Android

Follow Best Interest on Instagram

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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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In this episode, Alicia explores why stepmoms often feel like the least supported person in their own home. She breaks down the emotional and mental load stepmoms carry, the role of over-functioning, and how relationship dynamics with partners can unintentionally reinforce feelings of isolation.

Stepmoms will gain insight into why this pattern happens and learn actionable strategies for communicating their needs, setting boundaries, and creating more support within their relationship.

This episode is for stepmoms who feel overwhelmed, unseen, and exhausted from holding everything together—and are ready to feel more supported and in control.

Join The Stepmom Side Community

1:1 Coaching

Apply for Couples Coaching

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Want a specific topic covered? Let me know here.
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All things Alicia visit www.aliciakrasko.com
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In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia wraps up the Role Clarity Series by exploring what happens when expectations in blended families exceed a stepmom’s emotional and mental capacity. 

Many stepmoms feel pressure to overextend themselves in order to keep the peace, avoid conflict, or prove they are a “good” stepmom. This episode helps listeners identify expectations they may be carrying unconsciously, evaluate whether those expectations are sustainable, and begin honoring their own capacity without guilt. 

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stretched thin, or resentful in your stepmom role, this episode will help you reassess expectations and create healthier boundaries.

Resources mentioned:

Surface Pressure from "Encanto"

Define Your Role As A Stepmom

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Want a specific topic covered? Let me know here.
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Alicia continues the Role Clarity Series by discussing how stepmoms can communicate their role to their partner without creating conflict or defensiveness. Many stepmoms struggle to speak up about their needs because they fear being seen as difficult or causing tension in their relationship. 

This episode explores the emotional fears that keep stepmoms silent and offers a simple conversation framework to help them express their needs with clarity and confidence. If you’ve ever felt unsupported, overwhelmed, or unsure how to talk to your partner about your role in the family, this episode provides practical tools to start the conversation in a healthy way.

Resources mentioned:

House Expectations

Define Your Role As A Stepmom

Support the show

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 helps stepmoms define their role intentionally instead of defaulting into expectations placed on them in blended families. Many stepmoms feel confused about where they fit and end up over-giving to keep the peace. 

This episode guides listeners through clarifying their role, understanding the emotional cost of self-erasure, and choosing a way of showing up that fits their values and capacity. If you’re struggling to find your place as a stepmom, this episode will help you create clarity and confidence in your role.

Join The Stepmom Side Community to define your stepmom role with support from women who understand blended family dynamics.

Resources mentioned:

Define Your Role As A Stepmom

Support the show

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!
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
Get on the list,  get behind the scene info on Stepmom life, and tips delivered to your inbox.