Life of a Stepdad

Send us Fan MailOne of the greatest moments of my life occurred when I officially became a stepdad on November 16, 2002. I have been blessed with 3 amazing and loving stepchildren, 2 boys, Arturo and Daniel, and 1 girl, Devina, and it is something that I will eternally cherish.When I knew that I was going into a relationship with someone with children, I immediately understood that the relationship would be centered around the children just as much as it would be around my girlfriend. I also understood that creating a bond with the children both individually and collectively was an important equation within the relationship, especially as the relationship with the family grew more and more serious. I personally took the time to get to know the children and what was important to them and to learn what they personally thought of me and my relationship with their mom. Understand this...kids' feelings can sometimes be very different from one kid to the next. I mean, it can be really difficult if a particular kid has negative feelings toward you being with their mom, so you have to be very understanding and take the time to build a relationship with that child. Of course, it will take some time but children at a point and time will come to understand that their mom or dad is happy within the relationship which can ultimately change they way the child sees you.Another key matter in the relationship for me was to get to know the biological father of the children. This can be quite difficult depending on the level of relationship your partner has with his or her Ex. If at all possible, you need to step in and allow the moment to result in good vibes on both sides because there is nothing more nerving than having to deal with an Ex who resents you being around their kid and turns every situation into a negative one. In my case, my wife's Ex and I developed a good relationship that has grown into and exceptional one that is worthwhile and our kids love what we have achieved. At the end of the day, becoming a stepdad was amazing and always remember that while you may become a stepparent, you can at some point drop the "step" in stepparent and realize that you are now a parent because those stepchildren are essentially your children for life!Support the showThanks for watching and listening to the following social media platforms every Tuesday at 12pm PST:YouTube Channel: @GregMact5vApple Podcasts (including Overcast, Castro, Cast Box, Goodpods, True Fans)SpotifyPodcast IndexiHeartRadioPodcast AddictPodchaserDeezerPlayer FMFacebookLinkedInX