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Hello and welcome to Support for Stepdads!
Who Is Support for Stepdads For
If you are a stepdad looking for a place where you can seek help for your struggles, read through a bunch of resources to learn more about leading your blended family and stepchildren, find inspiration, and share your concerns and experiences with others who are in the same boat as you are, then you’ve stumbled upon a pot of gold!
What Support for Stepdads Offers
Support for Stepdads not only offers a treasure chest brimming with tips on effective stepparenting, inspirational tidbits, and a whole lot of helpful, precious gems about blended families. This site is also a venue for you to connect with other stepdads around the world, to inspire others with your stories and to promote the great value of family.
Learn more about this website here.
The Stepdad Behind the Website
As a veteran stepfather, I understand how difficult the journey can be for a lot of stepfathers and especially if you’re a newbie in this family role. Hence I have developed this “one-stop shop” for all stepdads like me who are determined to be an amazing head of the family and to be successful dads and husbands too.
Getting the Best Support for Stepdads
I understand how challenging it is to be a stepdad. Every single day, you need to be reminded of your duties and how you can best carry them out. Before you start your day or resign for the night, it’s important to be inspired about your special role in your new family.
Even in handling your family life as well as in the different aspects of your life, mentorship is important. I don’t claim to be an expert, but I can share with you everything I have learned in my many years of being a stepdad. What’s even better is that I have built this website to open you up to what other successful stepfathers are sharing and teaching and to what those in your same situation may be encountering at the moment.
Don’t miss out on anything. Sign up for our newsletter so you can enjoy tremendous guidance and encouragement throughout your lifetime journey as a stepdad.
Bonus Gifts for All Stepdads
With all the ups and downs I have been through as a stepdad, my heart certainly goes out to all stepfathers out there. Thus, as a bonus, I would like you to have a constant companion to guide you in this tough but rewarding ride of your life.
Click here to get your very own FREE copy of my eBook “What It Takes To Be A Stepdad”. Discover how you can prioritize your relationships and build a spectacular relationship with your wife and stepkids. Learn how to make your way through the challenging maze of stepdadhood without getting lost and sacrificing your loved ones in the process. Find out how to be the best stepdad you can be and thus leave a positive impact too on the lives of all your children.
Meanwhile, if you wish to be inspired despite the drawbacks and failures, you can also avail of our FREE eBook sample called “Gifts for Our Stepfathers”. With beautiful quotes and poems about being a stepdad, this book will surely touch your heart and keep you motivated. It certainly makes a great present as well for another stepdad you know who might need to be moved, enthused, and appreciated too. Click here to get your eBook now at no cost!
On top of these freebies, you also get to join over a thousand other Support for Stepdads subscribers who receive exclusive updates, tips, and more when you sign up for one or both of these wonderful eBooks.
Get Started Now
Check out some of the beneficial articles we have for stepdads, to help you become more aware of how to deal with various situations and to give you ideas on being a more efficient and effective stepfather:
Stepparenting Sons and Daughters
It’s also crucial to be a good husband to your wife in order to build a happy family. Learn more from these tips:
Want to feel good about being a stepdad? Nourish your soul with these inspiring words:
Appreciation for Stepdads on Father’s Day
Looking for a good book to read or a nice movie worth seeing? Will it help you improve your attitude and behavior as a stepdad? Take a look at some of the book and movie reviews here:
Why is a Stepfather Called a Stepfather?
Indeed there’s a whole range of valuable support just ready for you to grab, enjoy, and benefit from. You don’t have to go through stepfatherhood clueless, groping and tripping in the dark, ending up hurting yourself and others.
I am inviting you right now to make Support for Stepdads a part of your journey so you don’t have to be alone and you don’t have to keep guessing. Together let’s work on becoming awesome stepdads as we develop and maintain a blessed home and a happy blended family!
Your Dedicated Partner and Supporter,
Gerardo Campbell
Hello,
I am trying to find some advice for how to handle situations in my marriage involving the idea of step parenting. I married my wife when she had a 4 year old son. He is now 11 and I have been the only father he really knows. I have 4 biological sons as well. My wife has been really irritated if I use the phrase stepson or stepdad even though this is true. I do not think differently regarding my stepson but I find it very frustrating that I cant vocalize the truth of the situation in that I am the one who stepped in an manned up to be his father. I feel like not using these terms negates what I have done for him. My wife thinks I should pretend that this does not matter and should not use those terms. I do not really care about the term itself but think that it does matter as it clearly establishes what I have done for him and I find it very frustrating that my wife gets so upset about a normal thing (in my opinion). How can I better handle this without hurting anyone’s feelings?
Hi Joel
Thank you for reaching out. I’ll answer your question over the weekend.
Gerardo
Seems like a great site! I’m excited to get a chance to go through everything. I found my way here searching for some place to talk to other parents and seek some kind of help with my new stepdaughter. Her mother and I have been together for a little over a year and my little one just celebrated her 6th birthday. She has one other girl (3yrs old) from her previous relationship, and we are expecting our first together here soon. Recently my eldest has been getting increasingly frustrated with her biological fathers behaviour towards her. He’s barely seen her in the past year and only recently started to FaceTime her, tho those sessions often result in her moping sadly about her room afterwards. She’s been being extremely mopey and whiny about everything and then cries when she isn’t rewarded for her mean actions to us and her sister. The deadbeat in question is super egotistical and makes everyone do everything for him, in the few short years he was around his daughter he’s done a good job of teaching her that if she wants something all she has to do is tell that person to do it. Which obviously doesn’t work, causing her to throw a fit when it doesn’t. How do I (without flipping out) explain to her that the way she talks to people causes the way they respond to her.
Hi Charley
Thank you for your kind words regarding the site. I’ll respond to the situation you described in the next seven days. Keep the faith.
Gerardo
Hi Charley
Thank you again for your kind words regarding the site. Regarding your daughter, I think it wise and commendable you haven’t given in to her negative behavior – continue to hold the line. As I read your story I’m reminded of the world’s most spoiled girl, Veruca Salt. My thoughts are for you and your wife to sit down with your daughter to watch the movie Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory – it’s very entertaining. Then watch the above snippet. There are other clips of Veruca Salt as well. Afterward, have a conversation with your daughter about Veruca and her behavior. Your goal is to get her to recognize her behavior and to see how it affects those around them.
Also, you may want to consider a counselor for your daughter to address the impact of her biodad on her. I hope this helps.
Gerardo
Good evening,
I’m becoming a stepdad this summer and there is a lot happening. My fiancé’s baby’s father has abused her physically and verbally for years. She has kept every video and audio message of the name calling along with photos of her bruised and bloodied. He has a criminal record. As of now, they have been trying to co parent. But the child was recently hospitalized due to lack of nutrition on his side. My fiancé and I have developed a friendship over the years of her going through this traumatic experience in central Florida now that we are together and moving forward this guy still is calling her all times with demand while he has no responsibility towards his daughter. He is always drunk and high. Because of her wishes I have kept silent but I am at wits end and cannot take it anymore! I want to hurt this guy for all the pain he has caused. What should I do?
Hi Brian
Thank you for reaching out. It reflects your sincere interest in the health, safety, and welfare of your future stepdaughter. As a concerned adult and future stepdad, I feel your priority is to your future stepdaughter. My sense is your fiancé’s toleration of her ex’s abusive behavior practically makes her complicit in the abuse. You cannot remain silent anymore to do so makes you complicit in the abuse.
I feel your first step is to speak with your fiancé regarding your concern for her baby’s health and your fears that her ex’s abusive behavior will not only continue but will most likely escalate. Hopefully, after you share your heart with your fiancé she will realize the need to take immediate action to protect her baby. The actions you take at this point need to be handled discreetly and sensitively especially when the baby is in the ex’s custody. My thoughts are to go to child protective services. Based on the evidence collected, the recent hospitalization should be enough in reducing his parental privileges.
Finally, if your fiancé is unwilling to take action to protect her child will you be prepared to take action alone? You may need to. I will pray for your continued strength, courage, and for the baby’s safety.
Please understand my only training is my life experience- I am not a counselor or therapist. I’m going to reach out to a therapist associate and see if I can get her to weigh in on your circumstances.
Brian, I am the licensed therapist Gerardo reached out to. I have several concerns regarding your situation. The first is to make sure that you don’t do anything that would make you legally at risk. Don’t physically threaten her ex. I can imagine that you are very angry and want to protect your fiance and her daughter, but you have to be careful that you don’t do anything to put you at risk. I also don’t know if it would make the ex angrier if boundaries and limits came from you or your fiance. It would be good to have a conversation with her about that since he has been violent and could be violent in the future.
Your finance does need to do something through child protective services if she has not already to limit or end his custody. She has plenty of evidence and shouldn’t even need an attorney but if she does, then it would be worth getting one. There should be a restraining order to keep the ex from contacting your fiance too.
If your finance is not willing to set boundaries to keep this guy from continuing to harass and threaten her with demands, then you have to decide if that is something you can live with. You need to do some soul searching to decide if this is something you want to take on. Is she afraid of him and won’t say no for that reason? Is she still thinking she can co-parent and share custody with him? Is she intimidated by him and can’t yet stand up to him? All this matters in how it is handled and what your future will look like.
I am also concerned about the baby’s future. The father is clearly unable to take care of her and shouldn’t have custody. If there is any visitation in the future, it should be monitored. The abuse history, the physical neglect of the baby recently, and his substance use is enough to get custody removed at this time. I agree that someone needs to make a report if the doctor hasn’t already done it.
Please feel free to email me if you need more input at karla@changemyrelationship.com.