I’ve made soooo many mistakes as a step dad and not always learnt from them. They say we should always learn from our mistakes, if only it was that easy. Looking back now, I would have done so many things differently and handled so many situations in a more organised and text book way.
But hang on a minute, who writes these text books?
You?
Me?
Experts?
What makes an expert?
There is no such thing as an expert in step parenting,
There is no text book way of showing you how to be a step parent,
As a step parent coach I can encourage you, support you, record podcasts for you to listen to and write blogs like this one to guide you.
Does all this make me an expert?
No.........
It makes me someone who has been in your shoes and experienced just about everything you are and probably will go through. My experience and knowledge allows me to guide and steer you but ultimately it comes down to what it is you want and how you are going to get it. That’s where I can help you.
I think the best parents are the ones that listen and want to change when they need to or when the time is right. We as parents struggle all the way through parenthood and suffer terrible parent guilt for so many different reasons. Does this guilt come from our own high expectations that we have to be expert parents? Do we feel that we shouldn’t make mistakes and should have all the answers to all the questions?
Step parenting and biological parenting is a life long lesson that we will get right and sometimes get wrong and thats okay.
Give yourself permission to be the parent that you are. I am a big believer in change and not carrying on with something if it’s not working. Change can sometimes be the hardest thing to do and even harder to first admit. But it’s often the only way forward to better things. The longer you leave it, the more difficult it may become.
Tell yourself - I am a great step parent..............
