No woman dreams of becoming a stepmother, but that parental role is becoming a reality for an increasing number of women. Rather than starting a family in the traditional way – having a baby of their own – many are immersed into motherhood the day they jump the broom – as stepmothers. “There was no baby shower or invitation to the mother’s group”, says Dolla Merrillees of her experiences as a stepmother.
Stepmothers in particular struggle to find the “joy of motherhood” in what can at times be a thankless task. She often has to deal with the stress of trying to relate to a child who may resent her or is prejudiced against her by the birth mother. The stepparent’s role is often devalued and goes unrecognised in a society that sees stepparenting as a negative. It was this realisation that is familar to millions of stepfamilies out there that led Dolla Merrillees to take steps to challenge the myth and preception that the stepmother is mean and evil, or that she is a home-wrecker in her first book The Woodcutter’s Wife : A Stepmother’s Tale.
Heart-warming and hair-raising Dolla’s story of her transition from single girl to stepmother will resonate with families across the golbe and provides valuable information regarding stepparent-stepchild relationships; and custody and legal issues. Dolla concludes that stepparents and bioparents are not so different – on the whole they want to provide the same thing – a loving, nurturing, safe environment for the children in their care.
1 Comment
This is a good book for any Step Parent to read, especially aimed at those that have step childen living with them full time. Step Parents will be able to relate to the highs and lows that Dolla has experienced in her life – this book is written from Dolla’s real life experiences. If you feel you are alone with your thoughts and feelings you are going through with being a step parent, then this book will help.