Stepmonster on "AirTalk with Larry Mantle," KPCC/NPR, Los Angeles
Larry Mantle interviewed me about Stepmonster on his popular show, "AirTalk" On Tuesday, May 19. Many thanks to Larry and his callers.
Stepmonster on the West Coast: San Francisco and L.A.
I will be in San Francisco and L.A. to promote Stepmonster and talk about stepmother reality beginning this Sunday, May 17. My stepdaughter is coming with me for moral support and technical assistance (she's media savvy and knows how to upload photos to my blog, so this time I will have some to post. It's really way beyond me).
Raves for Stepmonster from Susan Wisdom, author of Stepcoupling
When the author of a classic in stepfamily studies emails you out of the blue to praise your book, it's incredibly exciting and gratifying. When she's also an expert stepfamily therapist who has made a career of saving the most endangered marriages of all — well, even more so. And when she's the person who coined the term "stepcoupling," it's reason to crow. So pardon me if I crow, for just one second. In Susan's words:
Stepmonster on Second Wives Club
Second Wives Club is a website with great information for women with stepkids, including essays and articles on everything from parental alienation to financial planning in stepfamilies to navigating family court and understanding stepfamily architecture.
Susan Swanson of The Stepfamily Center interviewed about stepfamily life
I just listened to Susan Davis Swanson's interview with parenting author Joe Bruzzese about stepfamily life. Susan, director of The Stepfamily Center in Beverly Hills, had lots of smart observations and helpful suggestions. Among them: stepmothers, feel free to step out for some fresh air, time with friends, and personal rejuvenation when his kids are around; and remember, conflict and struggle are inevitable facts of stepfamily life, not signs that you, your marriage, or your stepfamily are a failure.
The Un-Holiday: Happy Stepmother's Day
Much is written about Mother's Day being a difficult day for women with stepchildren. Especially for those who came into the lives of those stepchildren when they were very young, took an active role in parenting them, and are not acknowledged on The Day. Anyone who has read my book Stepmonster knows that I am the last one who would tell those women how they "should" feel on Mother's Day, or what is "right" or "wrong" to expect from their stepchildren and husbands on that charged and overdetermined day. Women with stepchildren hear enough lectures and shoulds. It gets old when it's your feelings at stake. Time to let stepmothers just have them, without promptly shoving a list like "Ten Ways to Be a Better Stepmother" into their hands right after.
Podcasts and Stepmonster Giveaway
If you'd like to hear podcasts (and watch a video) of my recent NPR interviews about Stepmonster, become my fan on Facebook (go to the "About the Author" page on my website, www.wednesdaymartin.com and click on "become a fan on Facebook"). Then, when you click on "Events" on my Facebook fan page, you'll see three links for three different NPR podcasts, including the video excerpt from my interview with Brian Lehrer on WNYC.
Oprah and Stepmothers: A Modest Proposal
Stepmother's Day is May 17th. Would you like a little acknowledgment?
Stepmonster featured on Jacque Fletcher's Website...and a podcast coming soon!
You might know about Jacque Fletcher's terrific book, A Career Girl's Guide to Becoming a Stepmom, and her smart and popular blog, becomingastepmom. Jacque has been featuring Stepmonster of late — I'm so excited to have her support here, and grateful that she's helping spread the message about the emotional reality of women with stepchildren. Check out her reviews and mentions of Stepmonster, and access to a podcast she and I recently recorded at:
Profiling Stepmothers
An image of stepmothers I've been particularly focused on dispelling these last weeks as I speak to the media: empowered, evil excluders and victimizers. As any woman with stepchildren knows, and as the research so clearly spells out, our perceptions of who stepmothers are could not be further from the reality. The studies and anecdotal reports from mental health professionals who work with stepmothers actually paint a picture that will startle many: stepmothers are by and large the most powerless and vulnerable members of the stepfamily system.