The Stepmom's Toolbox

This show is a quick, 15 minute or less reminder about Mother's Day.  Do you tell yourself that you don't care?  Do you say that you don't have any expectations?  Feel like Mother's Day is meaningless?  Hmmm....This show may be for you.  Let's have a quick, down and dirty talk. If you want to talk further, find me at www.TheEvilStepmotherSpeaks.com Tweet me @StepmomSpeaks

Hi there.  This is Claudette Chenevert, The Stepmom Coach. Join me this week as I talk with Leslie McKeough, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker specializing in postpartum adjustment and perinatal loss.  Her approach combines support, education and counseling.  She often works with women and their partners in the recovery process as postpartum difficulties affect the whole family.  She also has several years experience working with adolescents and families. Join us and ask Leslie questions about your issues with postpartum or share your stories with us. To find out more about Leslie's work, go to www.corevalu.com See you soon. Claudette Chenevert The Stepmom Coach www.stepmomcoach.com Looking for something for Mother's Day? Great mini book called "Words of Hope, Inspiration and Wisdom for Stepmoms".    Get your copy here atwww.stepmomcoach.com/products  Taking stepmoms from Surviving to THRIVING, one STEPat a time!

Ahh!  It's that special time of year for all stepmoms.  It's Mother's Day!  We would love to share our Mother's Day stories and advice with you.  Get ready to laugh, cry or even have an 'Aha!' moment. Our team includes Claudette Chenevert, The Stepmom Coach, Paula Bisacre of Remarriage Works, Mary T. Kelly of Married with Baggage and Barb Goldberg of The Evil Stepmother Speaks. If you are feeling any Mother's Day trepidation or just want a good laugh, join us

Today’s topic is “How to become the best possible stepparent while fully devoting yourself to your relationship with your partner” with guest Ron Capocelli, The Love Coach. Ron has experienced stepparenthood from ‘both sides of the fence’ and served many stepparents in his work as a community based mental health counselor. Ron will be talking about how to avoid the number one mistake most step-dads make and the three steps every step-dad should take to insure smooth sailing in their new role as a step-dad while staying fully devoted to their partner. Ron, a stepdad on two different occasions, will share his personal experiences as well as his professional expertize to help stepdads become better role models to their stepkids and partners to their spouses. To find out more about Ron Capocelli and his work, go to http://www.inspiredcommitment.com   See you soon. Claudette Chenevert The Stepmom Coach www.stepmomcoach.com Looking for something for Mother's Day? Great mini book called "Words of Hope, Inspiration and Wisdom for Stepmoms".    Get your copy here at www.stepmomcoach.com/products  Taking stepmoms from Surviving to THRIVING, one STEP at a time!

  Today, I'm talking with a stepmom that first came to me a few years ago, looking for help with her new family life. Like many women that enter into a blended relationship, Kim found out early that it was going to be more difficult than she imagined.   This is an interview I did a few years back but really wanted to share with you the information that Kim and I shared.     To hear more interviews from past guests, you can go to http://www.stepmomcoach.com/resources/blog-talk-radio-show/   Looking forward to hearing your comments.   Warmly,   Claudette The Stepmom Coach www.stepmomcoach.com  703-915-2470

Yeah!  Help me welcome the fantastic Heather Hetchler of Cafe Smom blog/coaching/stepmom store site.  Heather is one of our stepmom heroes and today we're going to talk about self care.  (Yes, I know.  You don't have the time!)  Listen to Heather talk about her recent journey towards self care and my failures in that area.  Heather Hecthler is the creator of Cafesmom, one of the great resources for stepmoms everywhere.  Heather is the mom/stepmom to 6 children who live with her and her husband, Andy.  She has a true passion to inform, encourage, support and connect stepmoms, making us stronger, smarter and more content Heather knows that we are heart of our families and weset the mood. If the Smom crumbles under the pressures of stepfamily life, the family is likely to follow. Heather’s mission is to help Stepmoms thrive, not just survive, stepfamily life. I am Barb Goldberg of The Evil Stepmother Speaks (Circle of Moms #1 Blended Family Blog..cheap plug!)  You can find Heather and me at: Heather:  www.CafeSmom.com Tweet Heather:  @CafeSmom Barb:  www.TheEvilStepmotherSpeaks.com Tweet Barb @StepmomSpeaks

On today's show, I'll be talking with Sue Atkins.   Sue Atkins is a Parenting Expert, Broadcaster, Speaker and Author of the Amazon best selling book  "Raising Happy Children for Dummies" one in the famous black and yellow series and the highly acclaimed Parenting Made Easy CDs. She has just launched her 1 Parenting Made Easy app for iPhones and iPads. Her new book “Parenting Made Easy – How to Raise Happy, Children ” is available now and is published by Random House Sue offers practical guidance for bringing up happy, confident, well behaved children from toddler to teen. To find out more about Sue and her work, go to www.theSueAtkins.com This show is filled with great insights and practical tips that you can actually use now to make a difference in the way you parent your children. Remember to visit http://www.stepmomcoach.com to download your free copy of the ebook "Words of Hope, Inspiration and Wisdom for Stepmoms"

Did you know that there is no delineation for a stepparent in Facebook?  When you fill out your profile, your parental choices are only ‘mother’ or ‘father’.  No ‘stepmother’.  No ‘stepfather’.  There are no ‘stepchild’ choices, either.  Only ‘daughter’ or ‘son’.  No ‘stepchild’.  Pleasantly, there is a space in the virtual universe where a stepparent is not estranged or considered a third wheel. We are full-fledged members of our virtual families. It is always ironic that the more we move forward, the more that we replicate our past.  Historically, stepmoms have been lauded for  their willingness to take on and be a part of a family.  So, having said that, what can we learn from Facebook? 

Hi there.  This is Claudette Chenevert, The Stepmom Coach. Divorce can be very painful and the emotiona impact can continue on to affect our future relationships if we don't handle then correctly. This week's gues is Divorce Coach Karen McMahon who will talk with us about the best ways to deal with the effects of divorce in a healthy and constructive way. Join us with your questions for Karen either here on the call or on twitter.  To find out more about Karen and her work, visit her website at www.karenmcmahon.com See you soon. Claudette Chenevert The Stepmom Coach www.stepmomcoach.com Get your FREE Gift "3 Biggest Mistakes Stepfamilies Make" here at www.stepmomcoach.com Taking stepmoms from Surviving to THRIVING, one STEP at a time!

Ever feel like giving up on your stepfamily? Do you need more support in your blended family life? Do you wish blended families had a stronger voice in America when it comes to their needs? Have you heard about the United States of America Blended Family Association (USABFA)? Join Publisher of RemarriageWorks.com, Paula Bisacre as she interviews Dan Snell, the Co-Founder and CEO of the United States of America Blended Family Association. Tune in to hear how USABFA is working to build healthier communities by bringing blended families together and strengthening the bond they have with each other and their communities. Dan Snell encourages all of us to set forth an extraordinary positive family life, and challenges us to stir what's inside of us to reach higher. In this inspiring interview, Dan will share why giving up is not an option in your remarriage, stepfamily, and/or blended family life.

Let the Super Woman Go On Vacation-Retire the Cape Why is it that as women, we have a need to do everything on our own?  Why are we so uncomfortable asking for help? What are the things that we can do to help us make our situations a bit easier? Sometimes as women, we make our lives more complicated than it really should be. We create our own stress in our lives. Utilizing their years of experience with relationships, connection and family, Claudette and Shaanen are generous in sharing real-life examples, honest about their own struggles and empathic with the struggles that today’s women are dealing with in trying to do it all. You  can find out more about Shaanen Cross by going to http://www.shaanencross.com/ Claudette Chenevert The Stepmom Coach www.stepmomcoach.com Get your FREE e-book "Words of Hope, Inspiration and Wisdom for stepmoms" here at www.stepmomcoach.com/products  Taking stepmoms from Surviving to THRIVING, one STEP at a time!

Hi there.  This is Claudette Chenevert, The Stepmom Coach. Join me this week as I talk with Carrie Hoffman, Relationship and Parent Coach. We fall in love, get married, have children and live happily ever after, right? Well, if we were to believe the statistics on first and second marriages, that’s not quite so. Relationships are often harder than people realize and require more work and commitment than expected.  Join us as Carrie and Claudette talk about our temperament styles, what they are and how to apply it to our relationships. To fing out more about Carrie and her work with couples, kids and temperament, visit her website at www.EmbraceLifeCoach.com Looking forward to seeing you soon.  See you soon. Claudette Chenevert The Stepmom Coach www.stepmomcoach.com Get your FREE Gift "3 Biggest Mistakes Stepfamilies Make" here at www.stepmomcoach.com Taking stepmoms from Surviving to THRIVING, one STEP at a time!

Hi there.  This is Claudette Chenevert, The Stepmom Coach.  Heidi Ducato, known as the Stylish Stepmom joins me in a conversation about being a stepmom and creating a fulfilling life.  You might know her as a contributor to the Stepmom Magazine as the Stylish Stepmom, read her blog post from her website www.stylishstepmom.com or seen her as a regular guest on Fox 23, Great Day Green Country in Tulsa Oklahoma. But did you know that this stepmom is also Mrs. Oklahoma International 2010 and first runner up for Mrs. International 2010? Heidi has an extensive history in retail, shopping and the fashion industry, which included modeling , hosting and doing commercial work. Heidi is also an advocate for the American Heart Association and is passionate about helping others and giving back.   To find out more about Heidi and her work, you can go to http://stylishstepmom.com/ Join us at 1:00 pm for great conversations and sharing. Looking forward to having you on the show.  Claudette Claudette Chenevert The Stepmom Coach www.stepmomcoach.com Get your FREE Gift "3 Biggest Mistakes Stepfamilies Make" here at www.stepmomcoach.com Taking stepmoms from Surviving to THRIVING, one STEP at a time!

Have you ever talked about your spouse's ex wife?  Have you heard a first wife talking about the new wife of their ex husband?   Here is a shocker.  There is some real science behind this phenomenum.  In this quick 30-minute show, the Evil Stepmother Speaks teaches about the brain functions that may create this odd partnership between first wife and subsequent wives.  Who knows?  Could it be that our chit chat between all of us is a great gift? Listen in and it may give you something to think about. www.TheEvilStepmotherSpeaks.com Tweet me @StepmomSpeaks

Deborah L. Parker knows about adversity. Raised the oldest child of a single mom in a rural Virginia town after having a stepdad leave the family to fend for themselves, Deborah learned early on that having a dream and a goal along with positive roles models contributed to where she is today. A determined mother, wise grandparents and supportive extended family led the way for her to college and beyond. On the family front, she believes in the proverb “it takes a village to raise a child’ and is a dedicated aunt to a nephew and two nieces. Deborah is also the author of a motivational memoir, Navigating Life’s Roadways: Stories of Insight from My Odyssey and Inspiration for Your Journey, where she chronicles her setbacks and successes, such as a battle with breast cancer. All adversities can be instructional, she advises, so never count yourself out! Her writings on life and cultural issues have appeared in local publications in the Metro DC. During our call, Deborah shares how to deal with adversities or conflicts, not only in your steprelationships but in other areas of your life. She recounts wonderful stories of her family and work experiences around these issues. We talk about looking for commonality, having those crucial conversations, leadership and dealing with the outsider syndrome. Pull up a chair and your coffee or tea mug and join us in our conversation together. To get Deborah’s book, you can order it at amazon.com, for a signed autographed copy write to her at dlparker6@verizon.net or visit her website at http://navigatinglifesroadways.com See you soon. Claudette Chenevert The Stepmom Coach www.stepmomcoach.com