Stepmotherhood: How To Survive Without Feeling Frustrated, Left Out, or Wicked
by Cherie Burns
Highly Recommended (Fusion Family Rating)

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Audience: Stepmothers

Topics: Co-parenting, child discipline, building couples’ intimacy, legal and financial issues, dealing with ex-wives, family holidays and traditions, vacations, rejection of stepmoms, and boundaries and personal space

Cherie Burns interviewed stepmothers from around the U.S. to present a compassionate look at the job of a stepmother. She emphasizes the importance of trimming expectations as she describes the experiences of stepmothers dealing with joint custody, visitation, and full custody arrangements. The importance of the marriage partnership is also emphasized.

The book begins, "Stepmothering is an art, a survival technique, and an act of giving." This also presents her theme. She explores a range of subjects -- from marriage to a widower to the decision to bring a new child into the stepfamily. In addition, she considers a stepmother’s relationship with the "wicked" and "remarried" ex-wife. Approaches to the creation of rules and limits are explored, with the suggestion that the dad be the enforcer of the discipline determined by the parental team. Her advice throughout the book is to caution women to find out what they are getting into by becoming a stepmom.

- Reviewed by Susan English, M.A.

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