10 Signs That You’re A Stepmom

Despite the growing prevalence of blended families, step-mommying still manages to leave a bad taste in some people’s mouths. Cultural weirdness around stepparents, specifically stepmothers, bubble up over notions you think we would have outgrown by 2013. But being a stepmother isn’t just limited to what people want to say about you, but how you experience the parenting world around you.

1. People ask about your kid’s “real mom”

2. Mother’s Day makes you the tiniest bit uncomfortable

3. One of your kids has an amazing “mom” adjacent nickname for you

4. You start a lot of declarative sentences with, “as a parent in a blended family…”

5. You get into epic comment thread fights with people who say you’ll never supplant your stepchild’s biological mother

6.You feel awkward navigating most parenting sites

7. You feel like you constantly have to explain that you fiercely love your kid, no biology required

8. You feel like you have to out yourself when in a group of bio parents

9. You don’t like the term “stepmom” and would like an alternative word

10. You didn’t know you could love someone this much

(photo: natiel)