No One Ever Dreams of Becoming A Stepmom
The things we’re meant to do aren’t always ideal.
Growing up to be a mother was never a priority for me. Growing up and getting married wasn’t either.
I can also tell you that I certainly never thought for even one split second that I would become a stepmother when I grew up.
My parents are still together. I never really thought about divorce or about my parents breaking up when I was young. I can’t think of any friends I had growing up who had a stepmom. Maybe there was the odd stepdad or two but that was about the extent of it. I didn’t pay much attention to the details of what that role even meant. It didn’t affect me.
Well, now the world of step-parenting is my everything. I live it, I write about it, and it’s one of the most phenomenally life-changing experiences I’ve ever had.
Becoming a stepmom has altered my perception of parenting, relationships, and also of myself.
Being a stepmom has opened up wounds I didn’t even know I had. My ego has bled extensively as my confidence has been sorely tested. My patience has expanded to spaces and places I never thought possible. My compassion for what others go through has evolved in ways it may not have otherwise.
Being a stepmom has changed me in different ways than being a “mother” has. It’s changed the way I view children. It’s opened my eyes to how children cope and how they grow emotionally. It’s also opened my eyes to how much children absorb from the adults around them.
They’re not ignorant. They see us. They hear us. They absorb everything. Every word, gesture, and action gets taken in, recorded, and categorized.
I’ve often said that not every woman is capable of being a stepmom or at least functioning well at it. I know now that’s because it can take so much out of you personally.
It’s not just about feeding, clothing, and sheltering a human being. Being a stepmom requires real personal sacrifice, diplomacy, and a level of maturity that can only be gained after years of making mistakes and learning from them.
Regular parenting requires a lot as well, but with step-parenting, you’ve always got to be more mindful, careful, and aware of your words because most of the time it’s not just about you. Step-parenting often includes at least 1 or 2 other parents or spouses with their agendas, wants, and needs. Then you’ve got siblings, extended family, friends, and so on.
Making a decision in a blended family can affect so many other people which is why planning and scheduling can be so complicated for stepmoms. Much of the time, no one feels like they’re winning or getting what they want.
Most of my friends who are women have no idea how I get through being a stepmom sometimes. Most of them wouldn’t put up with half of the chaos that can come with this role. It’s certainly not anyone’s dream job or coveted position.
While none of us sat around as little girls dreaming of becoming someone’s stepmom, I think that plenty of little girls grow up to be women who are needed as stepmoms. There are some children in this world who need an extra guide, teacher, and protector. It’s not a role that’s necessarily chosen but it chooses us.
There are things in this world we aspire to do and then there are things that we are meant to do. The things we’re meant to do aren’t always ideal. They aren’t always happy. But they are so very, very important.
Being a stepmom was never a garden I intended to cultivate in my life — but here I am, helping to grow and raise a child who needs me.
