I have a confession to make.
I used to think that loving my stepkids was so hard.
And I had (and hey, still have) a lot of good evidence for why loving them was so hard –
They’re SUCH difficult kids. They have all kinds of developmental and mood challenges. They’re hopeless with chores. They’re always fighting. They’re so needy…
But then I realized that NOT loving them was actually HURTING me.
Withholding my love only created MORE distance between us and LESS joy.
And so I made a different decision.
I decided to become the woman who loved her stepkids unconditionally.
I made the case for loving them despite their shortcomings.
Because ultimately, that’s basically what my stepkids did for me.
They did not choose me. But they accepted me – exactly as I am.
And they’re my family. And I love my family no matter what.
Because even when it’s hard…
Love actually makes things better – I don’t sweat the small stuff. And I get to feel more connected to my stepkids.
And I promise you, if I can do this with all 4 of my stepkids, I know you can too.
