The Stepmom Side Podcast

Alicia Krasko
  • 4.9 (55)
  • Parenting
  • Weekly

Do you find yourself googling for "Stepmom help" or "Stepmom struggles" more than you'd care to admit? If so, you're in the right place. The Stepmom Side Podcast is a conversational podcast about being a Stepmom and what that actually looks like. Host Alicia Krasko covers everything from part-time, full-time, to being an empty nester as a Stepmom. Every week, you'll get a bit of humor, advice, and a conversation that will have you taking an objective look at how you're showing up. You can expect honest (and uncomfortable) conversations with perspective shifts mixed in to help you create the life you no longer have to google for help.

  1. 3d ago

    #172: How to Stop Disappearing in Your Own Home—Without Forcing Connection

    Why do some stepmoms retreat to their bedrooms when the rest of the family is together—and how can they stop disappearing without forcing a connection that does not feel safe or genuine? Alicia  explores what happens after a stepmom recognizes that she has been withdrawing in her own home. Leaving the bedroom and simply “joining the family” may sound like an easy solution, but physical presence does not automatically create emotional safety, inclusion, or belonging. A stepmom can sit in the living room and still feel like an outsider. She may find herself staying busy, helping everyone, monitoring moods, or managing the household because being useful feels safer than simply being present. Over time, connection can begin to feel like another performance—and retreating becomes the only place she can finally exhale. Alicia explains how stepmoms can begin taking up space in their homes without overfunctioning, pretending to be comfortable, or forcing closeness with their stepchildren. In this episode, Alicia discusses: Why “just join the family” does not resolve outsider syndromeThe difference between healthy stretching and self-abandonmentWhy some stepmoms feel safer being useful than simply being presentHow to take up space without parenting, entertaining, or managing everyoneThis episode reminds stepmoms that they do not have to earn the right to feel comfortable in their own homes. They are allowed to build connection slowly, ask for support, set limits, and participate without auditioning for belonging. If generic blended-family advice has left you wondering what actually applies to your situation, join The Stepmom Side Community. Members receive personalized support through weekly Office Hours, Group Coaching, recorded Live Q&As, short Mindset Moments, guest speakers, courses, and a private community away from social media. Join The Stepmom Side Community: https://aliciakrasko.com/community If withdrawing has become the only way to avoid recurring conflict with your partner, learn more about individual coaching: https://aliciakrasko.com/coaching To apply for couples coaching, click here.  Support the show Want a specific topic covered? Let me know here. After you listen to this, tag me on Instagram @aliciakrasko and let me know what you think! Get all the FREE RESOURCES here. Want to learn more about The Stepmom Side community? Here's where you get all the info. Looking forward to connecting with you on the inside. All things Alicia visit www.aliciakrasko.com Get on the list,  get behind the scene info on Stepmom life, and tips delivered to your inbox.

  2. Oct 20

    #171: Why Stepmoms Hide in Their Bedrooms—and What They’re Really Escaping

    Why do some stepmoms withdraw to their bedrooms when their stepchildren are home—even when they genuinely want to feel connected to the family? In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia explores why retreating may be less about rejecting the family and more about protecting yourself from exclusion, overstimulation, preventable chaos, broken agreements or the fear of being misunderstood. Alicia explains the difference between healthy alone time and protective withdrawal. She also examines the moments that often happen before a stepmom disappears: feeling like there is no room for her on the couch, watching her partner do everything for his children, seeing previously agreed-upon boundaries change and deciding that staying silent feels safer than risking another argument. The bedroom may provide immediate relief, but it cannot create inclusion, repair trust or clarify family roles. Alicia shares practical questions to help stepmoms identify what they are feeling, what they need and how to communicate that need without blaming their partner or stepchildren. In this episode: Why stepmoms may isolate themselves when their stepchildren are homeHow emotional exclusion can happen without anyone intentionally being cruelWhy a partner’s overfunctioning can create resentment and household tensionHow repeatedly changed agreements erode trust between partnersThe difference between restorative alone time and protective withdrawalWhy silence may feel safer than explaining the same hurt againA stepmom does not have to supervise everyone, ignore her feelings or make herself useful to deserve a place in her own home. Taking space is allowed—but she deserves to feel safe, included and supported outside the bedroom too. For personalized support with boundaries, belonging, family roles and partner communication, join The Stepmom Side Community. For individual or couples support, explore coaching with Alicia. Support the show Want a specific topic covered? Let me know here. After you listen to this, tag me on Instagram @aliciakrasko and let me know what you think! Get all the FREE RESOURCES here. Want to learn more about The Stepmom Side community? Here's where you get all the info. Looking forward to connecting with you on the inside. All things Alicia visit www.aliciakrasko.com Get on the list,  get behind the scene info on Stepmom life, and tips delivered to your inbox.

  3. Oct 13

    #170: Being a Stepmom to a Widower: Grief, Boundaries, and Finding Your Place

    How is being a stepmom to a widower different from joining a blended family after divorce? And how can a new partner honor the children’s mother while still asking for a place in the family? In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia explores a listener’s experience of dating a widowed father, feeling excluded from a close family dynamic, and burning out while trying to keep everyone happy. The listener and her partner have reconciled after a brief separation and are working with a couples counselor before combining homes. Alicia discusses the questions that deserve attention: grief and parental guilt, a daughter’s reported caregiving role, unclear responsibilities, couple time, and inclusion for the listener’s younger son. She offers practical language for discussing these patterns without blaming the children or asking the family to erase their mother’s memory. In this episode, Alicia covers: How stepfamilies formed after a parent’s death can differ from those formed after divorce.Honoring a late wife and mother while making space for a new relationship.Exploring family roles without labeling a close father–daughter relationship.Recognizing the difference between helping and taking over everyone’s responsibilities.Protecting the incoming partner’s child from being overlooked.Questions to bring to couples counseling before moving in together.Building connection when adult stepchildren return home from college.Support and resources: Join The Stepmom Side Community.Explore 1:1 and couples coaching.Child Bereavement UK: New relationships after a parent’s death.Dougy Center: Grief support and resources.This episode offers stepfamily coaching and education; it does not assess or diagnose the listener’s family. Support the show Want a specific topic covered? Let me know here. After you listen to this, tag me on Instagram @aliciakrasko and let me know what you think! Get all the FREE RESOURCES here. Want to learn more about The Stepmom Side community? Here's where you get all the info. Looking forward to connecting with you on the inside. All things Alicia visit www.aliciakrasko.com Get on the list,  get behind the scene info on Stepmom life, and tips delivered to your inbox.

  4. Oct 6

    #169: When Your Wife Stops Asking: Understanding Emotional Disconnection in Marriage with Kameran Alareqi

    Sometimes the argument about the dishes is about the dishes. Sometimes it’s about having to ask fourteen times and wondering whether your partner actually hears you. In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia sits down with Kameran Alareqi, a Gottman certified marriage coach, to explore communication problems in marriage, emotional disconnection, and what it takes to feel close again—especially when blended family dynamics add another layer of stress. Kameran explains how childhood patterns can follow couples into their relationships and why apologizing after an argument doesn’t always create meaningful repair. She also explores how repeated requests, emotional outbursts, or arguments before a partner leaves can sometimes reflect an unmet need for closeness. Using a baseball analogy, Kameran walks through the progression from emotional safety to connection, emotional intimacy, and physical intimacy—and why trying to skip ahead can leave partners feeling even more disconnected. In this episode, Alicia and Kameran discuss: How learned childhood patterns affect communication and conflict in marriage.Why partners may approach apologies and emotional intimacy differently.The difference between saying “sorry” and repairing the hurt after an argument.How bids for connection can show up as frustration or repeated requests.The takeaway: Rebuilding closeness involves more than ending an argument. It means understanding what’s underneath it, creating emotional safety, and learning how to reconnect. For stepmoms who feel unheard, couples stuck in recurring arguments, or partners wondering where their connection went, this conversation offers a starting point for understanding those patterns and approaching them differently. Connect with Kameran: Instagram Married and Connected Community www.recognizingpotential.com Looking for support with marriage and stepfamily challenges? Explore The Stepmom Side Community for connection and support, or learn about 1:1 and couples coaching with Alicia Krasko. Support the show Want a specific topic covered? Let me know here. After you listen to this, tag me on Instagram @aliciakrasko and let me know what you think! Get all the FREE RESOURCES here. Want to learn more about The Stepmom Side community? Here's where you get all the info. Looking forward to connecting with you on the inside. All things Alicia visit www.aliciakrasko.com Get on the list,  get behind the scene info on Stepmom life, and tips delivered to your inbox.

  5. Sep 29

    #168: How to Disengage as a Stepmom Without Becoming Cold or Checking Out

    What does it mean to disengage as a stepmom—and can she step back without becoming cold, distant, or uncaring? In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia explains how helping in a blended family can slowly turn into overfunctioning. A stepmom notices what needs to happen, prevents problems, keeps everyone organized, and takes on more because she is capable. Eventually, she becomes exhausted and resentful while everyone else becomes very comfortable with the arrangement. Funny how that works. Healthy disengagement allows a stepmom to release responsibilities that do not belong to her while remaining caring, respectful, and emotionally present. It can create space for her partner to parent, for the children to carry age-appropriate responsibilities, and for the stepmom to build relationships that are not based entirely on what she does for everyone. Alicia discusses why stepping back often creates guilt, especially when being useful has become connected to belonging. She also explains how to decide what to release, communicate the change to a partner, and resist taking the responsibility back when someone handles it differently. In this episode: What healthy disengagement means for a stepmomThe difference between disengaging and emotionally checking outSigns that a stepmom may be overfunctioningWhy helping can turn into resentmentHow overfunctioning allows other family members to underfunctionWhy doing less can create guilt and anxietyDoing everything is not the price a stepmom must pay to belong. She can care about her family without managing every outcome, preventing every consequence, or carrying parenting responsibilities her partner needs to own. If you know you are doing too much but cannot figure out what is actually yours to release, you can find personalized support inside The Stepmom Side Community: https://aliciakrasko.com/community For individual or couples coaching with Alicia: https://aliciakrasko.com/coaching Support the show Want a specific topic covered? Let me know here. After you listen to this, tag me on Instagram @aliciakrasko and let me know what you think! Get all the FREE RESOURCES here. Want to learn more about The Stepmom Side community? Here's where you get all the info. Looking forward to connecting with you on the inside. All things Alicia visit www.aliciakrasko.com Get on the list,  get behind the scene info on Stepmom life, and tips delivered to your inbox.

  6. Sep 22

    #167: Stepkids Struggle On Transition Days: What Stepmoms Can Do

    Why does a stepchild seem withdrawn, irritable, hyper, or resistant to house rules after returning from their other parent’s home? In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia explores why transitions between two homes can be difficult for kids—and why a rough return does not automatically mean the child dislikes their stepmom or that something happened at the other house. Alicia explains how a child can be glad to see one parent and still miss the parent they just left. She also addresses the stepmom’s side of transition day: feeling hurt by a cold greeting, getting the first sharp response, and being expected to restore calm while her partner avoids enforcing expectations. The episode offers a practical plan for the first hour back. Alicia covers how partners can create a predictable arrival routine, decide which tasks can wait, give children room to settle, and respond to disrespect without shaming a child for having difficult feelings. She also shares language for talking with a partner when the same transition-day conflict repeats every week. In this episode: Why stepchildren may act differently after moving between two homesHow to respond when a child is moody, quiet, or resistant after a custody exchangeWhy a stepmom may feel like the target of transition-day frustrationHow to give children decompression time while maintaining house rules and more!Key takeaway: A hard transition calls for curiosity, predictable routines, and clear boundaries. The stepmom does not have to manage every feeling or accept disrespect to be compassionate. For personal support with stepfamily transitions, boundaries, and partner alignment, join The Stepmom Side Community. For individual or couples coaching with Alicia, explore coaching options. Support the show Want a specific topic covered? Let me know here. After you listen to this, tag me on Instagram @aliciakrasko and let me know what you think! Get all the FREE RESOURCES here. Want to learn more about The Stepmom Side community? Here's where you get all the info. Looking forward to connecting with you on the inside. All things Alicia visit www.aliciakrasko.com Get on the list,  get behind the scene info on Stepmom life, and tips delivered to your inbox.

  7. Sep 16

    #166: When Dad Won’t Enforce the Rules: What a Stepmom Should—and Shouldn’t—Do

    Who should discipline the stepkids—and what should a stepmom do when her partner refuses to enforce the rules? In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia shares what happened when her desire for a structured, cooperative household collided with her husband’s desire to avoid correcting his children during their limited time together. While he ran around doing everything for them—and ended each day completely exhausted—Alicia stepped in to enforce the expectations herself. It seemed like the logical solution. Unfortunately, it went over like a lead balloon. The problem wasn’t that Alicia wanted structure. She was trying to fill an enforcement gap before she had built enough connection with her stepchildren for them to understand that her correction came from a place of love. Alicia explains why things improved when her husband became the primary enforcer and how stepmoms can maintain boundaries without becoming the household police officer. In this episode, Alicia discusses: Who should discipline the stepchildren in a blended familyThe difference between parenting decisions, discipline, house rules, and personal boundariesWhy connection changes how correction is receivedHow dad guilt and conflict avoidance can lead a parent to overfunctionWhy doing everything for children doesn’t actually create a peaceful homeWanting children to participate does not make a stepmom controlling. But when she carries responsibility without clear authority or partner support, resentment can quickly replace connection. The solution may not be for the stepmom to enforce more. It may be for her partner to parent more while she protects her boundaries and gives the relationship with her stepchildren room to develop. Download Alicia’s free guide, How to Create House Rules for a Blended Family—Without Creating More Conflict: aliciakrasko.com/expectations Join The Stepmom Side Community for support from women who understand the complicated parts of stepfamily life: https://aliciakrasko.com/community Learn more about individual and couples coaching with Alicia: https://aliciakrasko.com/coaching Support the show Want a specific topic covered? Let me know here. After you listen to this, tag me on Instagram @aliciakrasko and let me know what you think! Get all the FREE RESOURCES here. Want to learn more about The Stepmom Side community? Here's where you get all the info. Looking forward to connecting with you on the inside. All things Alicia visit www.aliciakrasko.com Get on the list,  get behind the scene info on Stepmom life, and tips delivered to your inbox.

  8. Sep 8

    #165: It’s Not a Character Flaw: How Perimenopause Affects Memory, Mood and Stress with Jennifer Gularson

    If you’ve recently found yourself forgetting appointments, waking up drenched in sweat at 2 a.m., struggling to concentrate, or feeling completely overwhelmed by things you used to manage without a problem, it may not be a character flaw. It could be perimenopause. In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia sits down with Jennifer Gularson, PA-C, IFMCP, to unpack what really happens to women’s bodies and brains during perimenopause and menopause. Jennifer explains why perimenopause symptoms can begin while a woman is still having regular periods—and why those symptoms may disappear for months before returning with a vengeance. They discuss estrogen fluctuations, brain fog, forgetfulness, hot flashes, night sweats, changing periods, anxiety, sleep disruption, fatigue, and the sudden feeling that your usual ability to handle life has packed a bag and left without notice. They also have an honest conversation about libido, painful sex, vaginal dryness, emotional safety, mental load, and why “just try to get in the mood” is deeply unhelpful advice. In this episode, they discuss: What perimenopause is and how early symptoms can beginWhy symptoms can fluctuate from one cycle or month to the nextHow estrogen and progesterone changes affect memory, mood, sleep, and stress toleranceLesser-known perimenopause symptoms women may not recognizeWhy women may wake up hot, sweaty, or wide awake at 2 or 3 a.m.How hormonal changes can make an already-full mental load feel unmanageableThe difference between birth control and menopausal hormone therapyThis conversation offers women language for what they may be experiencing, options to discuss with a qualified provider, and an important reminder: struggling with energy, memory, sleep, mood, or stress during perimenopause does not mean they are failing. Learn more about Jennifer and her services at Your Best Life with Jennifer. Join The Stepmom Side Community for support from stepmoms who understand the mental and emotional load of blended-family life. Explore coaching with Alicia for personalized support with boundaries, relationships, resentment, and finding relief at home. This episode is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Support the show Want a specific topic covered? Let me know here. After you listen to this, tag me on Instagram @aliciakrasko and let me know what you think! Get all the FREE RESOURCES here. Want to learn more about The Stepmom Side community? Here's where you get all the info. Looking forward to connecting with you on the inside. All things Alicia visit www.aliciakrasko.com Get on the list,  get behind the scene info on Stepmom life, and tips delivered to your inbox.

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4.9
out of 5
55 Ratings

About

Do you find yourself googling for "Stepmom help" or "Stepmom struggles" more than you'd care to admit? If so, you're in the right place. The Stepmom Side Podcast is a conversational podcast about being a Stepmom and what that actually looks like. Host Alicia Krasko covers everything from part-time, full-time, to being an empty nester as a Stepmom. Every week, you'll get a bit of humor, advice, and a conversation that will have you taking an objective look at how you're showing up. You can expect honest (and uncomfortable) conversations with perspective shifts mixed in to help you create the life you no longer have to google for help.

Information

  • Creator
    Alicia Krasko
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    172
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Stepmom Side Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Stepmom Side Podcast

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