Grown-up stepchildren who are cold, hostile or won't accept you can hurt more than anyone expects. Why it happens, and how to protect yourself and your relationship.

Grunts, slammed doors and a phone glued to their hand. What helps when you're a stepmum to teenagers, and what's best left to their dad.

Birthdays, christenings, Christmas at his parents'. Why stepmums so often feel left out at family gatherings, and how to make them easier.

Eye-rolls, ignoring you, "you're not my mum". How to deal with a rude or disrespectful stepchild without becoming the bad guy, and what to say in the moment.

Feel like your partner always sides with his children, even when they're in the wrong? Why it happens, what it costs you both, and how to talk about it.

Exhausted, resentful and lonely in a house full of people? Here's why being a stepmum is so hard, and what makes a real difference.