The Atypical, Childless Stepmom

 If you become a stepparent when your kiddo is young, you kind of always anticipate when it is they're going to retaliate against you--whether that means saying "you're not my mom!" or throwing you under the bus because you're the easiest target. Up until last weekend, my stepson has said I'm his best friend, his favorite, and while in the back of my head I thought "this kid is gonna do it one day," I did not think it would be so soon. Going to share the story with all of you because I like to keep it real. My husband's jobs is one of those where depending upon the season, his schedule can change a little. Right now, it's busy season, so he's working Saturdays for the next month or so. He asked me if I'd mind spending Saturdays with my stepson during this time. I said of course, because I love him and we're a team and this is temporary. Last weekend I asked kiddo what he'd like to do. He said, "Bake cookies, take the dog ...

 I often get asked from non-stepparents, what is it like to be a stepparent? Well, everyone's story is different and every aspect of it is different. I'll paint a few pictures for you. Your kiddo does the most annoying thing on the planet. No, the world will not end, but that shit is annoying . Makes you want to scream, right? Whether you are a stepparent or a bio parent, you get what I mean. They pick their nose and eat it (ew), they aren't good at putting their clothes in the hamper, they talk back, whatever it is. Now, imagine that you are working very hard with your kid to stop that super annoying thing. After a few days, it seems like they are finally getting it. You aren't catching them doing that really annoying thing like you were just a few days ago. Bio parents will be so excited, but us stepmamas, we know what this usually means: that in a short amount of time, that kid will be right back to doing that thing. Why? Because oftentimes the second household doesn...