• Stepmoms: Are We Too Harsh on the Ex?

  • stepmother advice stepchildren stepfamily

    Haven’t we all said it or thought it.  Here is the rant.

    That ex is insane! I mean it. Really insane. How can a mother treat her children that way? That ex is so mean to my partner.  She is completely unreasonable.  What the hell, Bitch?

    The question is whether or not we are being fair.  Let’s think about a few factors that may play into our perceptions.

    1.    Our Initial Perceptions
    The foundation of our perception of the ex has been built by what we have been told by our partners.  Possibly, the foundation includes other stories provided by friends and acquaintances.  Either way, our sources are not the best.  Each person has their own prejudices and slants to the story.  Many of our sources have good reason to want us to agree with them.  Our friends and our partners may feel that our support is important to our relationship with them.  Also, it just may be fun to gossip.  Think about the friends that you like to talk to.  Don’t you often agree?  Isn’t it fun to agree?  In fact, agreement is a form of bonding with our friends and our partners.  In our heads, we have always been taught that people who disagree with us are on enemy territory.  The question that we need to ask ourselves is:  Do we want to agree with our partners’ perceptions in an effort to bring us closer and make us look like a ‘better’ partner?
    2.   That Inbred Woman vs Woman Conflict
    How many times in our lives have we been taught and shown how women fight over a man (partner)?  That story line is inbred in movies, TV shows and our lives.  It is repeated over and over again because it brings a comfort to us.  It is a story that we believe. “All women are on the earth to steal another woman’s partner.”   We are more comfortable arguing and finding fault with a woman, than with a male.  If we were honest, do you think that we avoid arguments with our male partner because there is a deep rooted fear of losing them?  The story of being left by a man and being left alone the rest of our lives is another story that has deep roots in our society.

    3.   Everyone is On Edge: The Anxiety Factor
    Do you feel anxious when it is time to spend time with the stepfamily members? Children? Exes? Extended family of exes?  How do you think those people feel when they are in our presence?
    I promise that everyone’s answer is the same:  ANXIOUS
    Our bodies and brains go right into flight or fight mode and all rational thinking goes out the window. The next thing you see and hear is just plain ridiculousness.  Right?  The bottom line is that our survival instincts and deep insecurities have kicked in.  Can’t we all relate?

    Can we be compassionate enough to give the ex and ourselves a pass?  Can we be less judgmental and harsh?  None of us want to be mean or cause our children any pain.  We are all imperfect.  Maybe we all have more in common than we want to admit.  Take a deep breath, a long walk and let it all slide down our backs.

    Amen