Uncomfortable Chit-Chat

Listen, being a stepmom comes with many frustrations. Anyone else hate that we put in a lot of work and rarely get the credit? In this episode we unpack some feelings around this, where it is or isn't given and who should get it. We talk about showing up and how some of us are pouring all we've got into this! Thank you so much for listening! Lots of Love, Erika and Ash

As stepmoms we are constantly navigating these three b's, barriers, boarders and boundaries. In this episode we do a bit of catching up and get into how we are still learning to set boundaries and put up barriers and boarders where needed to help us reach that ultimate goal, PEACE! Thank you so much for listening! Lots of Love, Ashley and Erika 

Hey Friends, we are wrapping up 2022 with a chat about the holidays! Holidays can be a brutal time for any family but when you're blended there are added emotions that can creep up! We are here to discuss our trials and turmoils during this fun but chaotic time of year. We are finishing up season 1 and can't wait to be back for season 2 with you all for some more navigating of blended life. Happy Holidays! Thank you so much for listening! Lots of Love, Erika and Ashley 

Parental Alienation is a miserable reality for a lot of families of divorce or separation. We recognize that everyones situation is different but when all parents involved want to be involved that is what is truly best for our kids. Alienating a parent because you simply don't like the person just makes you an asshole. Let's not be assholes. Thanks for listening! Lots of Love, Erika and Ashley

Happy Halloween! And to really celebrate the holiday we are bringing you an episode full things that contribute to the creating of a Monster Mom! We have HCBM's, we have egocentric moms, narcissistic moms and we have a bit on why maybe we are Step-Monsters. Dads, grandparents, they can be monsters too, lets all just do the best we can and worry less about the things we can't control and more about the things we can! Thank you for listening! Lots of Love, Ashley and Erika 

We spend a lot of energy on our baby mamma drama, but what about baby daddy drama? To ensure inclusivity we can't leave any drama out. We have no problem calling out the shitty dads out there, just as we do those shitty moms. We also have some interesting statistics that very well may contribute to the systemic consensus on the dead beat dad ideology. Are we giving dads the opportunity to be good dads? Thank you for listening! We see you, we appreciate you! Lots of Love, Ashley and Erika 

Big 'D' as in divorce, not the big 'D' you were maybe hoping for but we discuss how divorce impacts relationships, not just the relationships with our kids but with friends and family and how to set boundaries to keep yourself and those around you happy and healthy during divorce. Thank you for listening! Lots of Love, Ashley and Erika

We get a little morbid in this episode and converse about what happens when we die. No one likes to think about it but it's necessary and when there are kids or step kids involved it definitely adds to the conversation. We will do a follow up and answer more questions as well as provide more resources but for now we are getting the uncomfortable chit-chat started. Thank you for listening! We appreciate you! Lots of Love, Ashley and Erika

Update: Last episode we had started a painful journey with the family court system and in this one we update you all on how that went. Trigger warning, this episode touches on sensitive subjects, was not an easy one to record and will not be an easy listen. We all are learning as we go and hope that in sharing this story we help other families going through challenges feel like they aren't alone or at least don't have to navigate all the crazy without support. We see you. Thank you for listening. Lots of Love, Erika and Ashley 

Child custody and family court can be a nightmare and if you're listening to this podcast you're probably fully aware of this reality. In this episode Ashley shares her current custody battle and we discuss why we don't have anything good to say about the family court system. Blended looks different for everyone and if you're not having coffee and wearing matching t-shirts with bio-mom that's okay! This is just the beginning, if you can relate we see you. Never give up, let's be the change. Thank you for listening. Lots of love, Erika and Ashley 

In this episode we are discussing what having adult stepchildren might look like in different families. How old the kids are when we become step mommas plays a part in what our role in our families will be as time goes on. Money, time, how long do we deal with HCBM? Thank you for listening! Lots of Love, Ashley and Erika

We are giving some insight on parenting and remembering who it is we are here for, the amazing kiddos we are helping raise! Parenting is hard, navigating the changes that come as our kids grow is terrifying but it is important to remember they're people, not possessions and they don't belong to us or a high conflict bio-mom. Thank you for listening! Lots of Love, Ashley and Erika

We are opening up some touchy wounds and getting personal with some finances in episode 5. Divorce is a shit show and money makes people ugly. We go over a bit of child support and spousal support and what those look like in our situations. Thanks for listening! Lots of Love, Erika and Ashley 

Happy Father's Day to all dads, but a little extra to the dads who have to fight down to the minute to spend time with their kids because they have a baby momma that is trying to alienate them. We dissect those decrees, the ones we all know so well and give some insight on our custody arrangement when it comes to certain holidays. Thank you for listening! Lots of Love, Erika and Ashley 

In this episode we discuss what summer visitation looks like for each of us and how we got there. We dive into custody agreements, summer chaos and drop a few f-bombs. Thank you for listening! Lots of Love, Erika and Ashley 

We wanted to give a little more insight into why we are qualified to talk about #secondwifelife. Listen in for a bit of our background and how we got started on this stepmomma journey. Thanks for listening! 

In Episode 1 we do a quick introduction on what we are up to here and have a brief discussion on Mother's Day. Thank you for listening! Lots of Love, Erika and Ash