I was quite young when I joined the Stepparent Club – welcome Jo to the club of one. It’s not really a club but perhaps it should be, and I could be the founding member. I was in my mid-twenties, and I remember being confused, disheartened and underappreciated as I navigated this newly laid minefield laden with unexplained rules and feelings.

Love them, love their kids? Right? If only life was this simple. No one tells you how isolating it can feel to be a stepparent. Alongside learning to love, there are boundaries to establish, spoken and unspoken rules to discover, and the who, what, and why of discipline.

How do you stop people seeing you as a cartoon villain? Thank you, Disney, for the terrible job you did as our PR – you put the evil into stepmother.

Twenty-eight years later, and I can genuinely say that my stepdaughters are amongst my favourite people. I am lucky to have them in my life. Stepparenting will bring unique challenges which don’t arise in parenting your own children.

So, should you suffer in silence or accept a helping hand?

Therapeutic Stepparent Coaching isn’t about fixing blame. It’s about helping you find strategies and offering emotional support so you can thrive and not just survive in your relationship. Sometimes just having a neutral in your corner can help – after all, telling your partner that their ex is a terrible person doesn’t always make a situation better!

You don’t need to suffer alone. Ask me about Stepparent Coaching – I offer a free twenty-minute introductory call.