Lady Tremaine is a nasty, mean-spirited old woman who forces Cinderella to perform back-breaking chores and duties, and even encourages her own daughters, Drizella and Anastasia, to tease and mock their kind-hearted stepsister at every occasion. Lady Tremaine is so evil, in fact, that even her cat, Lucifer, comes off as a vicious and reprehensible figure. And who else but a very evil person would name a cat Lucifer, anyway?
Where does this description of step mums come from?
Is it coming from the step children or maybe the partners ex partner?
The storybook tales are often a far cry from step parents in reality as they can often form close and amazing bonds with their step children.
So why is the stepmother always considered evil? And isn’t it about time that that view was replaced, or at least critically reviewed?
I have known and coached many step mums that are doing the most amazing job and quite often getting no thanks for it. From daily domestic chores to school runs to being there when the step children are needing a shoulder to cry on. So what makes them evil or wicked?
Over the years as a step dad i have heard step mums labelled with many different names. Step mum, bonus mum even super mum. In their quest to avoid being labeled evil or wicked, many stepmoms overcompensate. They almost try too hard because of this label that might be attached to them. On top of all this they don’t have the power or the authority that bio mum has but they are often still expected to fill this step mum role.
Social media affects all of us in so many different ways. Sometimes positive and sometimes in a negative way. I think it's about time that films, adverts, tv documentaries etc, started showing step parents in a more positive way and give step parents the credit they truly deserve.
Fearne Cotton had experienced this and commented about it on Twitter a couple of years ago.
'An author visited my sons school this week to read a new novel where once again the step mother featured as an evil character. Isn’t it about time we represented step parents in children’s fiction in a more positive way. I’ve been a step mum for 9 years now'
This is what I mean, children being given a label for their step mum at school is not ok. Positive and factual stories when the children are young might help to bond and bring together blended families at an early stage. It would help to build and grow step mums and their step families from the start and encourage positive and loving relationships within more step families.
Stay strong step mums, you are doing a fantastic job.
