Tell Oprah
November 16th is National Stepfamily Day. And women with stepchildren are the lynchpin of the stepfamily system–research tells us that stepmother is the most challenged and stressed stepfamily member with the most complicated adjustment process.
Would you like to see stepmother reality acknowledged and considered on National Stepfamily Day? Use the button on my homepage, here on my blog, or on my Facebook Fan Page to contact Oprah producers. Let them know you’d like to see a show about women with stepchildren. You can mention my name and Stepmonster if the book helped you, as well as the names of other stepfamily authors including Izzy Rose (The Package Deal) and Jennifer Newcomb Marine (No One’s the Bitch) as well as Brenda Ockun, publisher of Stepmom Magazine. You can cut and past the message below:
Dear Oprah / O-Producer:
As a fan of your show and a woman with stepchildren/divorced mother, I would love to see an Oprah episode on new American families. According to official estimates, by 2010 there will be more stepfamilies in the US than any other type of family!
You recently did a great show on the truth about motherhood. What about the truth about stepmotherhood, and about relationships between wives and ex-wives? American families–especially stepmothers and divorced mothers whose husbands have remarried–face so many challenges.
Please address our reality on a show soon, and consider featuring stepfamily/new family experts and authors:
Wednesday Martin, PH. D, author of Stepmonster: A New Look at Why Real Stepmothers Think, Feel, and Act the Way We Do; Izzy Rose, author of The Package Deal: My (not-so) Glamorous Transition from Single Gal to Instant Mom; Jennifer and Carol Marine, authors of No One’s the Bitch: A Ten-Step Plan for the Mother and Stepmother Relationship; Brenda Ockun, founder and publisher of StepMom Magazine: A monthly, on-line publication and the only magazine exclusively for stepmoms.
Thank you.
Tags: Brenda Ockun, Izzy Rose, Jennifer Newcomb Marine, National Stepfamily Day, Orpah, Stepmom Magazine, stepmonster, wednesday martin, woman with stepchildren
September 7th, 2009 at 10:40 am
Ok, I did it. Oprah would provide a very powerful means to get the “real” story about what it’s like to be a stepmother out there.
September 7th, 2009 at 11:51 am
I’d love to see this. (although I’d have to try and watch online or something as we don’t have it here).
It can go wrong though. Alex Thomas who set up the Childless Stepmums Forum faced a pretty negative response when she appeared on British TV Show, This Morning to discuss her website. The hosts just didn’t “get it” and accused all the women who use the forum as being bitter and twisted and basically “wicked” for using the site.
Hmmmm….
Would love to see a “positive” show about the challenges faced by stepmothers. If anyone can change their perceptions, Wednesday can!!!
Will put my request in now.
LBM xxxxxxxx
September 7th, 2009 at 11:56 am
P.S – How can I get a “Tell Oprah” button for my site? Will advertise it on my blog to!
LBM xxx
September 8th, 2009 at 6:05 am
I just emailed Oprah, too.
September 8th, 2009 at 10:13 am
I did it too – what a great idea. Canadian women are in the same boat too, don’t forget about us! I am especially always looking for legal advice/examples on line and often get American data, so a Candian perspective would be great as well. My blog is http://www.amoufati.blogspot.com. Thanks!
September 8th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
OK, emailed Oprah!
September 8th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
Thanks for doing it and do spread the word if you would be so kind!
LBM, I know what you mean about how the media tends to twist the notion of telling the story from the stepmother’s point of view into yet another iteration of the “stepmothers are selfish and unloving” theme. Been there, done that, especially with NPR listeners. But really there is a way to help people see that the stepmother’s pov and adjustment are just as important as anyone else’s–it’s simply the piece of the puzzle that’s missing from stepfamily studies. Thanks again, xx wednesday
September 10th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
I emailed Oprah yesterday.
Count me in and add me to your list of authors who’d like to see this show aired.
We stepmothers and stepcouples need to ban together and be strong enough to deal with the angst of stepmothering. A little Oprah attention would help us a lot!
Thanks for coming up with the idea and following through.
Susan