Navigating the Complexities of
Stepfamily Life:
Tools for Conflict Resolution and Harmony
BRENDA OCKUN is Founder & Publisher of StepMom Magazine—the how-to guide for any woman who dates, lives with, or is married to someone who has kids.
Written by licensed therapists, published authors and stepfamily experts, StepMom Magazine is a monthly, online publication in its 11th year and is read by stepmoms in more than 20 countries. The magazine addresses important topics like: Co-parenting, Disengaging, Loyalty Binds, Outsider Syndrome, Parental Alienation and Bonding with Stepchildren.
Brenda leveraged a degree in communications and 20 years as a marketing executive to launch StepMom Magazine, creating the resource she wished was available when she met her husband. Brenda’s been a guest on NPR’s “Talk of the Nation,” “Good Morning America” and the “Steve Harvey Show”—and she’s been quoted in “The Washington Post,” “USA Today,” “The Huffington Post” and other major publications.
A stepmom of two, ages 28 and 31, Brenda lives in Upstate New York with her husband Gregg and their Rhodesian Ridgebacks: Maverick and Lilly. A champion to causes that matter to stepmoms the world over, Brenda says that “even when stepfamily life is good, it’s complicated!”
Website: StepMomMagazine
Session Title: Moms & Stepmoms - Why Don't We get along?
- Societal Views and Their Influence on Family Dynamics:
- Emotional Maturity and Healing as Keys to Stepfamily Harmony:
- Role Models and Community Support in Child-Rearing:
- Realistic Expectations in Navigating Stepfamily Relationships:
- Impact of Social Media and Managing Relationships:
(the full version of this session runs 0:30:36)