As you may have guessed from the title, our family has grown since my last post! Our son, Damari, arrived 3 months ago and we have been enjoying the shift in our family dynamic. As with any family, there will always be changes bringing home a new baby but there are also some factors to…
Author: BonusMom
Trying to co parent, dealing w/ a high conflict ex, and just being in a blended family can be tough. I’d like to engage with people who are in the blended family dynamic. I want this to be a safe place for a step mom trying to find a balance, someone just starting a relationship with someone that has a child, or a mom trying to figure out coparenting. We all need a support system as we navigate this journey.
To Each Their Own
Ideally, I’m sure most people would like to co-parent but that dynamic just is not an option for a lot of blended families. In my experience, over the last few years, parallel parenting has been the best option for my family. We have discussed our views and parenting style and it does not always align…
Transition Days
Living in different households comes with different dynamics and routines. I never really thought about transition days at the beginning of my stepmom journey. We prepared for Braylon to come home or for him to leave but as he’s getting older transitions are going to look a bit different for everyone. As for me and…
Stay in Your Lane?
Society places these invisible boundaries on things you should and shouldn’t do as a step-parent. From my experience the deeper you’re in a situation the more those boundaries fade. As stepmoms, we have to place limits on so many things like how we love our bonus babies and even how much we do for them….
Just Trying To Figure It Out
Recently Braylon has been trying to find a better understanding of the world around him. He’s almost 6 and very inquisitive about everything. He constantly wants to know the who, what, where, when, why, and how things are happening. He’s even started trying to figure out our family dynamic. Over the last few months, he…
Make Time!
“Date Night” has always been a big part of our relationship. Whether it is just catching a quick movie or taking a hike we make sure to set out time for each other. We are both educators & coaches, so as you can imagine we are pretty busy. When we aren’t at practice/school we are…
Almost Missed My Blessing…
Right out of college if you would’ve asked me if I would date someone with a child I would have told you no. I didn’t want any parts of having to be in any mess or drama that society portrays life to be when dating someone with a child. I was very closed off to…
5 Tips & Tricks: Dating someone with a child
Communicate: Speak to your significant other about what you are and are NOT comfortable with. Let them know how you’re feeling and be open & honest! Balance: Set aside time for yourself, with your significant other (child free), and time with the kid(s). Don’t put your love on the back burner in your relationship trying…
Fun Activities to do with your Bonus baby!
We are always looking for things to do so I will add to this list frequently! Local Parks: Go beyond just your neighborhood! There are plenty of parks w/ food trucks and all types of snacks/treats. Kiwico: Great website for STEM projects for all ages! Science Experiments: Check out sciencebob.com Library/Book Store: Pick out some…
Motherhood
For many women motherhood, will begin the day you find out you’re expecting, some will be when giving birth and others like myself first experience will be as a stepmother or bonus mom.I met my stepson when he was 2 years old and we connected pretty early on. The more time I spent with him…
Invisible Boundaries 