Family

I believe that all of us love watching sport, such as tennis, football, soccer, basketball, baseball, swimming, etc. And they have their favorite team or player. What is your favorite football team? What do you do to show it? Some of us wear the T-shirts with the team logo. Some of us have mini helmets collections. (more…)

There are few arenas in American life that can so aptly demonstrate how ugly human beings can be to one another as the courtroom. From divorce proceedings to custody battles to inheritance squabbles, the courtroom sees us at our worst. (more…)

Children will automatically respond by defending their mother. This is extremely challenging territory. It’s usually best to get as much information as possible from your partner and practice your listening and observing skills with the kids to make sure you’re in the know. “You’ve got to remember that it’s not the kids’ fault,” says Eleanor, a former New York City chef-turned-midwestern stepmother of two boys she met when they were 2 and 7. (more…)

Go to lunch beforehand or get an ice-cream cone afterward. To avoid making a child feel that you’re bribing him or her with treats, don’t just buy things. Make the outing an experience— something you can both do together that allows you to have time to develop your relationship. It could be as simple as walking your dog around the block or taking your stepchild grocery shopping. “Have stepmom-stepdaughter time,” says 15-year-old Nicole, a teenage stepdaughter who likes her stepmother, Kathleen. She met her stepmother when she was 6 and is now an eloquent teen who explains why she and her stepmother get along so well. (more…)

As I began building relationships with my future stepchildren, I wondered if the skills I’d learned at work could help me become a better stepmother. For my job on a magazine staff, I learned how to interview by asking open-ended questions. I learned how to make people feel comfortable with me so I could get the information I needed for a story. (more…)