There are so many ways that a step-mother can prepare for her role in the family. It isn’t often that we wake up one morning and we didn’t have time to prepare, so it is ridiculous to think that there isn’t a way to both mentally and physically prepare for being a step-mother.
I’m not talking about going out and getting in shape and fit because you are going to be chasing children around. Not at all. The physical aspect of preparing for your new role as a step-mother involves simply learning a little about the new family before the actual marriage takes place.
Find out what the children’s lives have been faced with, how involved their other parent is, and what their life has consisted of. These are all great ways to help you understand your new family before you get married.
It doesn’t just stop with the child. You might try to learn more about how the parent you are marrying deals with anger, frustration, discipline and other important issues ahead of time so that you can discuss what works and what doesn’t and find a compromise if need be.
Another suggestion would be to learn as much as you can about the children. This is not to say you should be trying hard to be impressive, but knowing the kids favorite foods, allergies, clothing, music, style and other items, can help you talk to the child about things he or she likes. Again, this can really establish a good connection from the start.
Preparing for the role as step-mother isn’t easy, but you might have a more positive experience by doing your homework ahead of time and making the decision to become pro-active from the very start.
Nicole Humphrey writes about the creative and memory preserving side of life and families in the Scrapbooking Blog and Fun Blog, provides helpful hints to blended families and single parents on the Parents Blog, and provides informative tips and advice for students, teachers and parents on the Education Blog. She also guest blogs on a variety of topics. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.