I heard the call that changed my life on your Deep Dive episode on stepparenting. I began to cry because I remembered how this call changed my life 16 years ago!
I was at my wit’s end with my stepdaughter. My husband was working a lot, and I stayed at home with three teenagers. It was my husband's job to discipline his daughter, but he didn't care that she was out of control. She was getting worse and destroying the family.
Then I heard the call. A woman was also having trouble with her stepdaughter, and her husband wasn't doing squat about it. You told the lady to not address anything her stepdaughter was doing. Until dad got tired, nothing would change. In the meantime, be sweet, don’t fuss and just ignore what she was doing. Dr. Laura, I did exactly that! I was so uncomfortable at first, but you were 100% right. Within three weeks, my husband got fed up and kicked her out of the house, and she didn’t return for six years.
Today she calls me 'Mom' and says I’m the most admirable woman she knows. She apologized for the hell she put us through. When I asked her why she did all those things, she said, “I was acting out, and I wanted to break up you and dad's marriage.” I’ve forgiven her, and we’re closer than ever. This was one of the hardest things I've had to do, but it was worth it. Keep up the good work — I promise we’re listening.
Natalie
I Didn't Let My Stepdaughter Ruin Our Marriage
What stepparenting challenges have you overcome? Send me your story by sending an email to drlaura@drlaura.com!
