Stepfamily Resources

StepMom Magazine

Susan Haworth is a contributing writer for StepMom Magazine. Beginning July 2021, Susan debuted her monthly advice column, “The Stepmom Whisperer” in StepMom Magazine.

“When I talk to stepmoms about what behaviors bug them, I’m reminded of the apocryphal story about the man who walked from U.S. coast to coast. When he reached his final destination, a reporter asked him what the hardest part of his journey was. “Was it the mountains you had to scale or the heat of the deserts you crossed?” the reporter asked. The man replied, “It was the sand in my shoes.”

—Susan Haworth

“The survival of the human species depends on parental devotion. The survival of stepmoms depends on disengagement.”

—Susan Haworth

“The dirty little secret many stepmoms hold is that living with someone else’s kids is a struggle and we look forward to the times they’re not in our home.”

—Susan Haworth

“Clarifying and strengthening boundaries is not a singular event; it is a process that takes years. As you work to protect your stepfamily’s privacy and autonomy, you may experience resistance from others. The only people who object to your efforts, however, are the people who want to cross those boundaries.”

—Susan Haworth

“Family loyalty can morph into blind loyalty when family members fail to acknowledge each other’s flaws and imperfections, and when loyalty is used to exclude others, including stepmoms.”

—Susan Haworth

Looking for a mediator, family law attorney or a child and teen counselor?

Check out this StepFamily Resources list.