The Stepmom Side Podcast

169 Episodes

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#169: When Your Wife Stops Asking: Understanding Emotional Disconnection in Marriage with Kameran Alareqi

2026-10-0656:17

Sometimes the argument about the dishes is about the dishes. Sometimes it’s about having to ask fourteen times and wondering whether your partner actually hears you. In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia sits down with Kameran Alareqi, a Gottman certified marriage coach, to explore communication problems in marriage, emotional disconnection, and what it takes to feel close again—especially when blended family dynamics add another layer of stress. Kameran explains how childhood p...

#168: How to Disengage as a Stepmom Without Becoming Cold or Checking Out

2026-09-2954:31

What does it mean to disengage as a stepmom—and can she step back without becoming cold, distant, or uncaring? In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia explains how helping in a blended family can slowly turn into overfunctioning. A stepmom notices what needs to happen, prevents problems, keeps everyone organized, and takes on more because she is capable. Eventually, she becomes exhausted and resentful while everyone else becomes very comfortable with the arrangement. Funny how tha...

#167: Stepkids Struggle On Transition Days: What Stepmoms Can Do

2026-09-2251:47

Why does a stepchild seem withdrawn, irritable, hyper, or resistant to house rules after returning from their other parent’s home? In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia explores why transitions between two homes can be difficult for kids—and why a rough return does not automatically mean the child dislikes their stepmom or that something happened at the other house. Alicia explains how a child can be glad to see one parent and still miss the parent they just left. She also addre...

#166: When Dad Won’t Enforce the Rules: What a Stepmom Should—and Shouldn’t—Do

2026-09-1645:17

Who should discipline the stepkids—and what should a stepmom do when her partner refuses to enforce the rules? In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia shares what happened when her desire for a structured, cooperative household collided with her husband’s desire to avoid correcting his children during their limited time together. While he ran around doing everything for them—and ended each day completely exhausted—Alicia stepped in to enforce the expectations herself. It seemed li...

#165: It’s Not a Character Flaw: How Perimenopause Affects Memory, Mood and Stress with Jennifer Gularson

2026-09-0801:03:27

If you’ve recently found yourself forgetting appointments, waking up drenched in sweat at 2 a.m., struggling to concentrate, or feeling completely overwhelmed by things you used to manage without a problem, it may not be a character flaw. It could be perimenopause. In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia sits down with Jennifer Gularson, PA-C, IFMCP, to unpack what really happens to women’s bodies and brains during perimenopause and menopause. Jennifer explains why perimenopause s...

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