In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, we’re diving deep into the legal side of stepfamily dynamics with none other than Tracey J. Coates, Managing Partner of Coates Family Law, PLLC. Tracey is a powerhouse attorney who represents high-net-worth and high-profile clients in domestic relations cases, including divorce, child custody, and adoption, and estate planning. Tracey is the host of the popular podcast, The Tracey Coates Show, and has published numerous articles on family law topics. She is a frequent presenter and commentator at events and appears regularly on radio and television.

What you’ll learn in this episode:
- How you can better prepare before entering divorce or mediation.
- The impact of custody agreements on moving or changing living arrangements.
- Whether child support can be adjusted when an "ours baby" comes into the picture.
- Can judges and lawyers detect if someone has a mental health issue, and how does it affect your case?

Tune in for expert advice, real-life examples, and the legal tips you didn’t know you needed!

Connect with Tracey:
- Website: www.coatesfamilylaw.com
- Podcast: The Tracey Coates Show

**Don’t forget to subscribe to The Stepmom Side Podcast, leave a review, and share this episode with fellow stepmoms!**

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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!
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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Ever feel like your partner’s ex is always around—at every event, in every conversation, and all over social media? In today’s episode, we dive into the awkward and often frustrating reality of dealing with your partner’s ex and how to keep your cool when it feels like they’re *everywhere.*

I’m breaking down:
- Why it can feel like the ex is always around (even if they’re not!)
- How to communicate with your partner about boundaries without causing a fight
- Tips for handling social media when the ex is all over your feed (or seems to be!)
- What to do when the ex crosses the line and oversteps
- And, of course, self-care strategies to help you stay grounded through it all!

If you’re tired of feeling like a third wheel in your own relationship or just need some solid advice on how to navigate these tricky dynamics, this episode is for you!

**What You'll Learn in This Episode:**
1. How to approach conversations with your partner about the ex without it blowing up.
2. Why setting boundaries is essential and how to do it without feeling like the “bad guy.”
3. The best ways to protect your social media space—and your sanity!
4. How to recognize when the ex is overstepping and what you can do about it.
5. Self-care techniques to help you stay calm and collected when emotions run high.

Got a wild ex story or a question you want answered in a future episode? Send it my way here!

**Subscribe & Review:** 
If you loved this episode, be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss any future episodes! And if you’re feeling generous, I’d love for you to leave a review on Apple. Your reviews help other stepmoms find the show and get the support they need too! 💖

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.

So, your stepkid doesn't like you? Join the club, girlfriend. You aren't the only stepmom that's felt that. 

In this episode, I discuss:
-how it's really not something personal (promise!)
-how to deal with the disrespect
-why taking time for YOU is so important
-ways to build respect (little by little) and more!

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.

Dr. Jakubowski is a well-respected international influencer on helping kids live happier, healthier lives. She has touched the lives of thousands of families in multiple states with her ability to connect and help kids experience success from challenging behaviors. With a doctorate in Educational Leadership, and nearly 20  years of experience in education as a teacher, assistant principal and principal, she is highly regarded as an educational gamechanger.

In this episode, we discuss:
-Co-parenting through the school system
-Believing that everyone is trying to do the best they can
-How emails can complicate things
-Asking “can you help you me understand….”
-Changing your delivery, changes the responses you get
-A question to kids when you think they are lying
-Problem solving with kids and more...!

Connect with Karin:
X (formerly Twitter)

Facebook

Instagram

TikTok

YouTube

LinkedIn

Momnificent Podcast

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.

Melanie Stern is a psychotherapist specializing in alcohol and substance use issues and individual adult therapy. She tailors treatment to the individual to reveal the root of the problem with therapeutic process that is informed by psychoanalytic thinking, systems, CBT techniques, and trauma-based theory and practice. She is also a mother and step-mother, enjoys running and being by the beach, and is a proud lifelong New Yorker.

In this episode, we discuss:

-what is addiction?
-how to break the habit of enabling?
-how do I/we communicate with stepkid about addiction
-what if my stepkid's mom overdosed? and more!

Connect with Melanie:
www.melaniesstern.com/

Additional resources:
We The Village Helping families treat addiction

Beyond Addiction: How Science and Kindness Help People Change (Book)

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

After a Crisis: How Young Children Heal

Helping School-Age Children with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Caregivers

Talking to Teens When Violence Happens

Talking to Children When Scary Things Happen

Age-Related Reactions to a Traumatic Event

Creating Supportive Environments When Scary Things Happen

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.

Krista St-Germain is a Master Certified Life Coach, grief expert, widow, mom and host of The Widowed Mom Podcast. When her husband was killed by a drunk driver in 2016, Krista’s life was completely and unexpectedly flipped upside down. After therapy helped her unfurl from the fetal position, Krista discovered Life Coaching, Post Traumatic Growth and learned the tools she needed to move forward and create a future she could get excited about. Now, she coaches and teaches other widows so they can love life again, too.

In this episode, we cover:
-5 stages of grief and why Krista thinks there's another way
-dual process model
-Dougy Center for Grieving Families
-death of a parent/coparent
-How to handle emotions you see in kids
-Post traumatic growth

To connect with Krista:
www.coachingwithkrista.com
Instagram
Facebook

Resources mentioned:
Dougy Center for Grieving Families
Grief Outloud Podcast

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.

First, it's normal! Completely normal. Everyone has done it, so don't beat yourself up about it.

In this episode, I discuss why it happens and how to break the cycle of repeating it. Let's be honest, you want to stop the cycle, too. You don't want this living rent free in your head.

Worrying is like rocking in a rocking chair; you can do it all day, but you don't get anywhere.

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.

I know this sounds like a crazy concept, especially if you have an upbringing like mine. You know, one with the authoritarian parent. "Do as I say, not as I do." or a parent that expects you to jump when they say, "jump."

Listen in on why apologizing to your stepkid when you are wrong/made a mistake is actually helpful to your relationship. 

Dare I say an apology could strengthen it?

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.

Ever feel like everyone else belongs but you do not?

There's a secret language they speak.

There are inside jokes.

The history they share.

The memories, vacations, and, well, you know everything that you don't share with them.

In this episode, I break down, what outside syndrome is, what it feels like, and things you can do to overcome and work through it.

We talk about this in The Stepmom Side Community. Come join us there!

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.

In this episode, Alicia talks about  being "just the stepmom" and how society puts pressure on stepmoms to show up in all the ways, but to remember that, as a stepmom, you aren't the kid's mom.

She talks about changing your perspective from being "just" the stepmom to "I'm just the stepmom." Listen in to hear the difference and for tips to embracing being just the stepmom.

Want help "Defining Your role"? Click here.

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.