How to Fight Against the Damaging Portrayal of Stepparents in the Media
The complex bond between stepchild and stepparent, how the movies could be damaging to this relationship, and tips for connecting with your partner’s child
I am a stepmother to a ten-year-old girl named Charlotte, given her affinity for movies, it’s surprising she likes me as much as she does.
We have a great relationship. Her father and I met when she was a toddler so this arrangement is all she knows.
I sometimes wonder if she would’ve accepted me if I came into the picture later in her life. Maybe she would fear a new woman in her father’s life because according to the movies, step-mothers are evil bitches.
Watching movies is one of a child’s favorite pastimes. As we all know, the media can influence impressionable children and have an impact on their belief system.
This is why the negative portrayal of stepmothers and stepfathers in movies and television shows is so damaging.
The challenges of being a step-parent
Being a step-parent is one of the hardest relationships to solidify for a few different reasons:
- We are continuously treading the fine line between authority figure and friend.
