Hello! Mama Unicorn here. Happily married to my wonderful hubby for 3 1/2 years. Stepmom to 2 boys, 10 and 8. Mom to a boy, 2 1/2, and 10 weeks pregnant.
I don't know any other stepparents in real life, and when I vent to my parents & best friend, they can only echo my frustration but can't give any personalized advice.
Hubby is a good listener and of course understands the situation, but I need a voice of experience that's distanced from our specific situation. Also, he understandably sometimes gets triggered when I vent about the kids, so I have to censor that around him.
I love my stepsons as much as I love my own son, but you gotta admit, there's a whole lot more drama in the relationships with them!
The majority of the drama comes from BM, directly or indirectly by triangulation through the kids. I've read the book Divorce Poison cover to cover, and frequently refer back to it for "poison control" strategies. But I've often felt I needed a support group of real life stepparents.
I'm really glad to be here! Nice to meet you all.