Ladies, We Need To Talk

She's one of the great cultural villains; the evil stepmother. Stepmums are up against it. Besides fighting bad press generated by endless pop-culture references, they're chucked in the deep end of parenting without a life boat.Yumi Stynes meets stepmothers who've experienced the joy of loving their partner's child as well as the difficulty of slotting into a 'mum' role when the kids already have one.Plus, researcher Dr Bailey Oliver Blackburn explains the challenges of stepmothering, from responsibility without authority to constant comparison and feeling excluded.This episode is a celebration of the unique role that stepmums play and offers some tools to navigate a complex family dynamic.What to listen to next:Toxic mumsBreaking the motherhood contractMental health: Overcoming depressionMental health: Anxiety and how to beat itMental health: Loving someone with an addictionYou can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. What to r