For stepmum support, tools, workshops and coaching, visit: https://stepmumspace.com

If you’ve ever felt torn between how you parent and how things are done in the other house, this episode will feel incredibly familiar. Becky joins Katie to talk honestly about the challenges of raising children across two very different homes — and what happens when you have full parental autonomy with your own kids, but very little with your stepchild.

In this episode, Katie talks to Becky, a stepmum to one boy and biological mum to two young girls. Becky has always been clear about the type of parent she wants to be, and because she met her stepson when he was just 18 months old, she has played a huge role in shaping his life.

But with that comes complexity.

Becky opens up about:

• Parenting her daughters with full autonomy — while having no final say over her stepson
• The pressure to “treat him like your own,” without being given the authority that goes with it
• The guilt she feels loving her bio children differently from her stepson
• The pressure from her husband to love all three children the same
• Navigating completely different rules and expectations in each home
• Why her stepson needs a “reset” after returning from his mum’s
• The fear that he may one day prefer the looser boundaries in the other house

This is a deeply validating, honest conversation about identity, boundaries, guilt, and the very real emotional load of trying to parent well in a system you don’t control.

Thank you, Becky, for your openness and honesty.
 x

In This Episode We Explore:

• What happens when your home and the other home are polar opposites
• How to cope when you have different values, rules and expectations
• Loving bio kids and stepkids differently — and why that’s normal
• The emotional strain of responsibility without authority
• “Reset periods” and why children behave differently across homes
• The fear of losing connection as kids get older
• How stepmums can find confidence and clarity in the chaos

If You Need Support
Book a free introductory coaching call: https://www.stepmumspace.com/booking

Learn more about Katie’s work: https://www.stepmumspace.com

Keywords:
different rules in different houses, stepmum guilt, stepmum parenting differences, loving bio kids differently, stepmum resentment, blended family challenges, two different households, stepmum boundaries, struggling stepmum, stepmum podcast, emotional support for stepmums

Support the Podcast:
If you enjoy Stepmum Space and want to help us continue making the show, you can support the podcast here:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1929525/supporters/new

Helpful Links:
Stepmum Space website: https://stepmumspace.com

Instagram: @stepmumspace
1:1 Coaching & Couples Coaching: https://stepmumspace.com

You’re not failing — you’re doing your best inside two different worlds. And that matters.

Support the show