The Stepmom's Toolbox

I would not have been able to survive in my life without my girlfriends.  Period.  My favorite 'girlfriend' resource is the site www.Girlfriendology.com created by Debba Haupert.  I want to talk about the role girlfriends play in the life of a stepmom. - Is it important to have girlfriends? - What role do girlfriends play? - What role, if anything, does loyalty play?  What if your girlfriend is your friend as well as friends with "the other side"? - How can I be a good girlfriend? As always, Debba and I will be talking like we are at happy hour!  Please join us! Find Debba everyday at: http://girlfriendology.com/ Tweet Debba @Girlfriendology Pin Debba at Pinterest at Girlfriendology

Hi there. Claudette Chenevert, The Stepmom Coach here.  Join me this week as I talk with Karen Schachter, Therapist and Nutritionist on ways to nourish your body to help your (step)daughter  feel great about her image. Image is everywhere in our world and if we don't  learn to deal with it in healthy ways, we end up hurting ourselves as well as our girls. Karen will share with us great tips to stay health while maintaining good body image, for yourself and your (step)daughters. See You soon.   Claudette Chenevert The Stepmom Coach www.stepmomcoach.com Looking for something special for yourself or to give as a gift? Great mini book called "Words of Hope, Inspiration and Wisdom for Stepmoms".    Get your copy here at www.stepmomcoach.com/ Taking stepmoms from Surviving to THRIVING, one STEP at a time!

I was thinking about the high divorce rate among remarriages with children.  It's over one third of the families!  So, I wondered.  Why do some families make it and others don't?  Can we narrow it down to one major factor?  I decided, "Yes" we can!  Super Stepmom to the rescue! If you have a strong stepmom, they are the secret weapon to keeping blended families moving forward.  Listen to this show and I'll give you the 3 tips on how to be a super stepmom!  Yes, we can be superheroes, if we know the secrets! www.TheEvilStepmotherSpeaks.com @StepmomSpeaks      

  Hi there.  This is Claudette Chenevert, The Stepmom Coach. Join me this week as I talk with Joseph Goldberg, PAS expert.  PAS is a very difficult and emotional issue that  when stepfamilies (and intact families) live it, can be very challenging.  Joseph Goldberg, an expert and a consultant on the subject of Parental Alienation. He is a member of the Parental Alienation Study Group ( PASG ). Mr. Goldberg  is the Founder of an international educational entity called, The Canadian Symposium for Parental Alienation Syndrome. This is a very serious issue and one that merrits the time and energy to be fully understood. If you have any questions about PAS that you would like Joseph to answer, please send them to me PRIOR to the call at claudette@stepmomcoach.com.  To find out more about P.A.S., go to http://www.parentalalienation.ca/ See you soon. Claudette Chenevert The Stepmom Coach www.stepmomcoach.com Looking for something for Mother's Day? Great mini book called "Words of Hope, Inspiration and Wisdom for Stepmoms".    Get your copy here atwww.stepmomcoach.com/products  Taking stepmoms from Surviving to THRIVING, one STEPat a time!

If you weren't an approval addict before, once you become a stepmom you can easily become one. As stepmoms, we are under scrutiny and pressure 24/7.  At least, it feels that way.  But, what if you crave approval?  Or, do you find yourself craving approval once you became a stepmom?  Do you ever find yourself… Scrutinizing everything you said and did after a social function, finding all kinds of ways you could have done it or said it differently. Dressing mostly to make an impact on the people around you without a thought about what you like to wear. Apologizing when your house is dirty. Changing the things you do and say depending on who you’re with. Keeping your opinions to yourself when they’re not the same as the opinions of other people. Well, you may have an addiction to approval. Today's guest is Amy Pearson. She is a master certified Martha Beck life coach, a speaker, author and instructor for Martha Beck Inc, where she teaches coaching fundamentals to coaches-in-training. She calls herself a recovering approval addict with the occasional relapse. After years working through her own approval addiction and helping hundreds of her own clients find freedom from approval seeking, she developed a series of coaching tools to help other people.You can find her free e-book, I Don’t Need Your Approval at bloomlifedesign.com. Need to find Barb at The Evil Stepmother Speaks?  Click here:  The Evil Stepmother Speaks Tweet me @StepmomSpeaks

Hi there.  This is Claudette Chenevert, The Stepmom Coach. Join me this week as I talk with ShaRon Rea, a certified parenting coach, author and mentor.  ShaRon is the owner of "The Whole Family LLC"  and author of "Divorce and Children" During our 60 minutes together, we'll talk about what divorce does to children and why it's important to deal with divorce in a healthy way and tips that will make your life a little easier. Make sure to have pen and paper as we start to create great relationships together. See you soon. Claudette Chenevert The Stepmom Coach www.stepmomcoach.com Looking for something for Mother's Day? Great mini book called "Words of Hope, Inspiration and Wisdom for Stepmoms".    Get your copy here atwww.stepmomcoach.com/products  Taking stepmoms from Surviving to THRIVING, one STEPat a time!

Would you love to hear from a stepfather who has successfully navigated blended family life? Do you want to know how a stepdad thinks, feels, and deals with stepfamily challenges? Join Paula Bisacre, publisher of RemarriageWorks.com as she interviews RemarriageWorks' advice columnist, Chuck Semich in this Father's Day special. Chuck Semich, a licensed family therapist who specialized in stepfamily relations in his private practice, grew up as a stepchild and is a long-time stepfather, himself. Based on Chuck's wealth of professional and personal experience, you'll gain some valuable insights about stepdads. This is your chance to find out everything you ever wanted to know about the life of a stepfather. You may learn a new way to honor the stepfather in your family!

My guest today is Indrani Goradia.  I just love Indrani Goradia.  Why?  Because every time I am with her or in one of her classes, I learn something.  She is the coach that I would love to be.  She is an author, speaker, Certified life coach, triathlete, marathoner and Yoga Therapist. She is a featured expert with Steven Covey and Deepak Chopra, as well as a featured guest on TV and conferences domestically and internationally. Indrani’s foundation is dedicated to Inspire, Educate, Mentor and Teach all Aspiring women, particularly maligned women to live the life of their dreams. When I approached Indrani about being a guest on Stepmom Toolbox, she said, “I have the perfect subject”.  Let’s talk about communicating from a peaceful place when choosing to speak.  I thought, “Hxxx, Yeah!  Teach me how to do that!”  Speaking for all stepmoms, I think we would all love to communicate from a peaceful place, but that might be a tad challenging.  Join us! Indrani conducts group workshops and is “completely energized” when helping others to peel back their layers to uncover their right  life.  If you want to book Indrani as a speaker, coach or attend one of her workshops, you can  find Indrani at www.indranislight.org Of course, you can find me, Barb Goldberg at www.TheEvilStepmotherSpeaks.com Tweet me @StepmomSpeaks

Grieving is part of our lives. It’s a natural reaction to when we have lost something of importance in our lives.  Although we often associate grief with death, we also grieve to loss of an ideology, such as having a perfect family, a perfect job, a perfect life. I believe we can’t live fully without experiencing some type of grief.  Many of us don’t know how to grieve or understand the process of grieving. My name is Claudette Chenevert, known as The Stepmom Coach. Join me as I talk with Gloria Lintermans, author of award winning book "The Secrets to Stepfamily Success: Revolutionary Tools To Create A Blended Family Of Support and Respect". We will discuss what grieving in a Stepfamily means and share how to create a stepfamily grieving policy for your family. To find out more about what I do and my work, go to www.stepmomcoach.com. There you will find plenty of free resources to help you deal with various stepfamily issues. Also, you can download your free ebook called "Words of Hope, Inspiration, and Wisdom for Stepfamilies" by going to www.stepmomcoach.com/products 

I am a true believer that grief plays an ongoing and critical role in our stepfamilies.  Did you ever feel as if the children just won't come around?  Why are these adult children so mean to me?  Why doesn't the ex-spouse or the children like me?  I wonder if grief is the answer to some of these questions.  There is so much loss!  The loss of the family dreams:  a marriage that failed, a family split and worries about the future of the children.  It is a death.  Can we truly expect our family members to like and love us when their worlds have been shattered?  Does time really heal?  How can we serve our families?  Our guest, Cath Duncan is an experienced Social Worker, Neuro-linguistic Psychology Master Practitioner and Martha Beck Life Coach.  After the loss of her daughter, Cath has devoted her professional life to grief coaching.  She lives in South Africa and is the author of Remembering for Good: Wholehearted Living After Loss. Cath provides coaching services and conducts a  Wholehearted Living After Loss grief group.  Cath's site is:  www.RememberingForGood.com My site is:  www.TheEvilStepmotherSpeaks.com Tweet me @StepmomSpeaks

Hi there.  This is Claudette Chenevert, The Stepmom Coach. Join me this week as I share with you some of my personal insights from the first 50 years of my life. YES!! That's right. I turned 50 on Monday and let me tell you, this is just the beginning of the rest of a beautiful adventure. But it wasn't always this upbeat or positive. I'll share with you some of my most memorable stories (well at least some) and invite you to share yours.  We all make a difference in the world. It's up to us if it's going to be positive or negative. I look forward to having you with me in this very special call. See you soon. Claudette Chenevert The Stepmom Coach www.stepmomcoach.com Looking for a special gift for yourself or someone important in your life? Great mini book called "Words of Hope, Inspiration and Wisdom for Stepmoms".    Get your copy here at www.stepmomcoach.com/products  Taking stepmoms from Surviving to THRIVING, one STEPat a time!

Heather Hetchler, the creator of Cafesmom, and I thought that a discussion about faith may resonate with some stepmoms and dads.  There is no doubt that being a stepparent is challenging, often requiring a search for strength.  So, how does faith fit in?  Or, does it? Heather and I have never had a discussion about our views on faith.  Heather is a Christian and I am Jewish and we are really looking forward to seeing where this show goes. You can find me, Barb Goldberg, at www.TheEvilStepmotherSpeaks.com Tweet me @StepmomSpeaks

Hi there.  This is Claudette Chenevert, The Stepmom Coach. Join me this week as I talk with Marian Meade, a relationship coach specializing with creating intimacy in your marriage.  During our 60 minutes together, I'll share with you some great tips and strategies that you can do immediately.  Make sure to have pen and paper as we start to create great relationships together. See you soon. Claudette Chenevert The Stepmom Coach www.stepmomcoach.com Get your FREE Gift "3 Biggest Mistakes Stepfamilies Make" here at www.stepmomcoach.com Taking stepmoms from Surviving to THRIVING, one STEP at a time!

Hi there.  This is Claudette Chenevert, The Stepmom Coach. Mother's Day is just around the corner and for many stepmoms, it can be a really challenging time of year.   Join me as I talk with Lisa Teal-Webb of Buckeye Bonus Mom Group and Elissa Cox, both stepmoms, about what are some of their issues and challenges around Mother's Day and ways to get support. Share with us your struggles and challenges on what it's like for you to spend Mother's Day and what you have done to get support for yourself. Plus, we will also talk about the upcoming Stepmom event in Columbus Ohio in July. We're looking forward to talking with you very soon. Claudette Chenevert The Stepmom Coach www.stepmomcoach.com Looking for something for Mother's Day? Great mini book called "Words of Hope, Inspiration and Wisdom for Stepmoms".    Get your copy here atwww.stepmomcoach.com/products  Taking stepmoms from Surviving to THRIVING, one STEPat a time!

Know anyone getting married again? Are you wondering why getting married a second time is harder than you anticipated? Join Publisher of RemarriageWorks.com, Paula Bisacre as she interviews Stacey Tucker, also known as StaceyLu, author of Eat, Drink and Remarry: StaceyLu's Guide to Planning the Second Time Around.  Stacey is the author of the popular blog, Saying it Out Loud. She will share how to get through your encore wedding plans with humor and insight; she's been there! Stacey persevered despite her fear of judgment, reluctance to ask for help and a few mishaps along the way.  If this sounds familiar, don't miss this opportunity to hear more about a very valuable resource with a creative approach toward all of your to-dos, to do! Even if you are already remarried, this will certainly bring a smile to your face as you reminisce.