Season 9: Episode 8: Life After 18 & Entering a New Stepmom Chapter with guest Veronica

Christina Welcomes Beven! Beven is a neurodivergent leader, educator, and parent of neurodivergent children, who joins us to chat about how we can help our neurodivergent stepkiddos navigate two separate homes with different rules and norms. We discuss the importance of communication, belonging, and predictability. While we can't always have consistency between homes - we can focus on what we can control. If you have neurospiciness in your home - this episode is for you!  Listen in!About My Guest: Beven Byrnes is the Executive Director of Bridges Middle School, Oregon’s only middle school designed specifically for students with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, anxiety, and other learning differences. A neurodivergent leader, educator, and parent of neurodivergent children, Beven is passionate about creating environments where students feel seen, supported, and empowered to thrive. Through her work, she advocates for inclusive education, belonging, mental health, and helping young people build the confidence and self-advocacy skills they need for lifelong success. So much more than a podcast!!!Follow along on ⁠Instagram⁠Want to chat with Christina? Book a Call!⁠Needing community? Become a Member⁠ and hang with other stepmoms!⁠www.radicalstepmomspodcast.com⁠

Christina chats with Veronica, a stepmom who is now on the other side of 18. Veronica shares her story of being a full-time stepmom, to long distance, to now loving her stepkids as they’re adults. How did she develop and maintain a relationship from miles away? How did her partner support her role? What changes as your stepkids grow? What (if anything) gets easier?  Listen in! About My Guest:I’ve been an educator for 17 years, seven years as an elementary teacher and the past ten years as a school librarian. My husband and I have been married for 9 years and together for a total of 10 years. I have two incredible stepdaughters, now 25 and 22 years old, a role that has challenged and shaped me in ways I never expected. I’m still learning every day how to navigate stepmom life with grace, honesty, and a sense of humor. So much more than a podcast!!!Follow along on ⁠Instagram⁠Need some support? ⁠Schedule with Christina!⁠⁠Become a Member⁠ and hang with other stepmoms!⁠www.radicalstepmomspodcast.com⁠

Christina chats with Robin, who shares her experience of being the stepchild. Robin’s mother passed away when she was young and her father quickly remarried. Robin gives guidance to stepmoms navigating the loss of a bio-parent, and how her perception of stepmoms has changed over time. What should a stepmom do or not do? What’s the partner’s role in the dynamic? Listen in! About My Guest: Robin Breuner is an author, freelance journalist, and podcast host based in Marin County, California. A former bookseller and author host at Book Passage, she has engaged with some of today’s most influential literary voices. Her writing has been featured in regional publications, and her debut memoir is forthcoming. Robin brings both personal experience and a writer’s perspective to her work, creating thoughtful, nuanced conversations about family and identity. https://www.robinbreuner.com/https://www.instagram.com/stepstoriespodcast/ So much more than a podcast!!!Follow along on ⁠Instagram⁠Need some support? ⁠Schedule with Christina!⁠⁠Become a Member⁠ and hang with other stepmoms!⁠www.radicalstepmomspodcast.com⁠

Christina welcomes Nancy, a poet by trade and a stepmom in life. As a newer stepmom, Nancy chats all the layers of finding your identity, dealing with societal pushback and grieving the firsts. What “mistakes” do all stepmoms have to make in order to find their footing? How do you find your purpose? Nancy shares a few poems from her new book, “Confessions of a New Stepmom” and encourages all stepmoms to find their outlet and their community. Listen in! About My Guest:Nancy Sage is a poet who writes about the feelings and often unspoken realities of stepmotherhood—love, identity, and building a life that doesn’t follow a traditional script.Her new book, “Confessions of a New Stepmom,” is out now! She previously published “The Anatomy of a Heartbreak.” @nancysage.poetry (Instagram and TikTok)Nancysagepoetry.comPencilxpaper.com/nancysage So much more than a podcast!!!Follow along on ⁠Instagram⁠Need some support? ⁠Schedule with Christina!⁠⁠Become a Member⁠ and hang with other stepmoms!⁠www.radicalstepmomspodcast.com⁠

Christina asked her audience to submit their BM horror stories, and OH MY! Listen in for some WTF moments and to feel a little less alone in your chaos. Sending love to you all! Interested in trying Sync Botanicals Tea? Check it out HERE and use code RADSTEPMOM to save $15 off your first month!

Christina welcomes back Cameron to chat the many struggles of being a stepmom and how it all leads back to our search for control. Cameron shares her experience in raising teens with a coparent who is very different than her. The two unpack topics like not taking things personally, knowing the difference between developmentally appropriate issues and blended family issues, fears and hopes and more! Do you worry about what your life will be like once the kids are grown? Do you wonder how your relationship with your stepkids will evolve? Where do we find our influence? How do we embrace our wins so it gets us through the hard times? Listen in! About My Guest: Cameron Normand is the founder of Stepfamily Solutions and host of the Stepmom Diaries podcast, and is a leading thought leader challenging outdated advice in the stepfamily world. An attorney and certified coach, she helps stepmoms stop walking on eggshells and start leading with clarity and confidence. Through her Stepfamily Coach Academy, she trains stepfamily coaches to empower women with research-based tools to transform their homes and their futures. Find her on IG HERE! So much more than a podcast!!!Follow along on ⁠Instagram⁠Need some support? ⁠Schedule with Christina!⁠⁠Become a Member⁠ and hang with other stepmoms!⁠www.radicalstepmomspodcast.com⁠

Christina welcomes Bre to share her stepmom story of high conflict chaos, an ex that won't finalize the divorce and a 2020 pregnancy. How do you find the love and joy when it feels like everything is working against you? Bre opens up about her transition into full custody, bringing home an ours baby and the grief of not having what she thought she signed up for. What makes you stay when you have every reason to walk away? Listen in! Main Topics: - When the Ex won't sign the divorce papers - Living in a small town with the Ex - Forced Phone calls and location tracking - Having an ours baby in 2020 and with high conflict - Closing the chapter of custody and court So much more than a podcast!!!Follow along on ⁠Instagram⁠Need some support? ⁠Schedule with Christina!⁠⁠Become a Member⁠ and hang with other stepmoms!⁠www.radicalstepmomspodcast.com⁠

Christina welcomes Carol to discuss her role as a full-time stepmom. Fulltime stepmoms take on a lot of the responsibility, but are always making space for the BM. Carol shares her feelings of resentment, gratitude and how she invests in her relationship with her stepdaughter. How do you manage loyalty binds? How do you remain open and loving when you feel vulnerable? Listen in! So much more than a podcast!!!Follow along on ⁠Instagram⁠Need some support? ⁠Schedule with Christina!⁠⁠Become a Member⁠ and hang with other stepmoms!⁠www.radicalstepmomspodcast.com⁠

Christina welcomes Nicole who shares her step-parenting and co-parenting journey that’s included significant adversity, including the loss of a co-parent, shaping her perspective with honesty and resilience. How did she develop her relationships with her stepkids, assist her own kids with blending, manage grief and define her role? Also, how many counselors become stepmoms? Is it destiny? Listen in! About My GuestNicole is a 34-year-old wife, bio mom, and stepmom, balancing blended family life and a career as a high school counselor. She is raising children ages 2, 8, and 10, with stepchildren ages 17 and 19. Nicole met her husband during COVID in 2020; both were previously married and have now been married for nearly five years. Find her on IG: @ladynshafeSo much more than a podcast!!!Follow along on ⁠Instagram⁠Need some support? ⁠Schedule with Christina!⁠⁠Become a Member⁠ and hang with other stepmoms!⁠www.radicalstepmomspodcast.com⁠

Welcome to Season 9! Christina kicks it off with a candid conversation with an ex-stepdad turned dad. Erik tells his story of diving head first into stepdad life, and when he realized his wife was high conflict. What happened when he initiated the divorce? Listen in as Erick shares how he regained custody (Netflix worthy story) how he’s protected his kids, and what advice he gives to stepmoms supporting dads through chaos. Meet My Guest:Eric Kaltz is a single dad of two who advocates for calm, intentional parenting through high-conflict divorce. His perspective centers on emotional control, accountability, and maintaining stability for children in difficult co-parenting dynamics.Instagram @erickaltzofficialTikTok @erickaltzSo much more than a podcast!!!Follow along on ⁠Instagram⁠Need some support? ⁠Schedule with Christina!⁠⁠Become a Member⁠ and hang with other stepmoms!⁠www.radicalstepmomspodcast.com⁠