The Stepmom Side Podcast
Do you find yourself googling for "Stepmom help" or "Stepmom struggles" more than you'd care to admit?
If so, you're in the right place. The Stepmom Side Podcast is a conversational podcast about being a Stepmom and what that actually looks like. Host Alicia Krasko covers everything from part-time, full-time, to being an empty nester as a Stepmom.
Every week, you'll get a bit of humor, advice, and a conversation that will have you taking an objective look at how you're showing up. You can expect honest (and uncomfortable) conversations with perspective shifts mixed in to help you create the life you no longer have to google for help.
Episodes
150 episodes
#150: Why Setting Boundaries Feels Mean (And How to Stop Feeling Guilty)
Does setting boundaries make you immediately feel guilty?Do you finally decide to say no, ask for space, or stop carrying everyone else's emotions… and then immediately wonder if you're being selfish?You're not alone....
#149: Why Stepmoms Confuse Peace With Perfection in Blended Families
Are you constantly chasing peace in your blended family… but secretly defining peace as “everything going perfectly”?In this episode, Alicia dives into one of the biggest mindset traps high-achieving stepmoms fall into: beli...
148: Summer Break Is Chaos for Stepmoms—Here’s How to Take Back Control of Your Home
Summer break sounds fun… until your house turns into chaos, the routines disappear, and you feel like you’re running a summer camp you never signed up for.In this episode, Alicia breaks down how stepmoms can create structure, maintain co...
#147: Stepmom Struggles: Why Kids Pull Away in Front of Their Other Parent
Alicia dives into one of the most confusing and emotionally triggering experiences for stepmoms: why stepchildren suddenly act distant, avoidant, or completely different when their other parent is around.If you’ve ever felt ignored at pi...
146: Stepmother’s Day Emotions: Feeling Invisible, Seen, and Everything In Between
Stepmother’s Day—did you even know it existed?In this episode of, Alicia dives into the emotional complexity of Stepmother’s Day—a holiday created in 2000 a nine year old to honor her stepmom. While the intention behind the day ...
#145: Feeling Forgotten on Mother’s Day? A Stepmom’s Guide to Getting What You Need
Mother’s Day can be one of the most confusing—and painful—holidays for stepmoms.You show up. You support your partner. You help raise kids who aren’t biologically yours. You carry emotional labor, household responsibilities, and the invi...
#144: Stepfamily Myths That Damage Marriages and How to Fix the Disconnect with Monica Tanner
In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia is joined by Monica Tanner to talk about how to reignite connection and intimacy in blended families, why stepfamily myths can damage marriages, and what couples can do to create a stronger, h...
#143: Infertility as a Stepmom: Coping with Failed IUI, Grief, and Redefining Motherhood with Kristen Skiles
Trigger warning: miscarriage Infertility is hard. Being a stepmom is hard. Put the two together? Yeah… it’s a whole different level that no one really prepares you for.In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast
#142: Family Court, Co-Parenting Stress, and Protecting Your Peace With Sol Kennedy
In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia talks with Sol Kennedy, founder of the Best Interest co-parenting app, about high-conflict co-parenting, family court, co-parent communication, and how AI can help parents reduce conflict....
#141: The Hidden Reason Stepmoms Feel Like the Least Supported Person at Home
In this episode, Alicia explores why stepmoms often feel like the least supported person in their own home. She breaks down the emotional and mental load stepmoms carry, the role of over-functioning, and how relationship dynamics with partners ...
140: Stepmom Burnout: When Family Expectations Don’t Match Your Capacity
In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia wraps up the Role Clarity Series by exploring what happens when expectations in blended families exceed a stepmom’s emotional and mental capacity. Many stepmoms feel pressure to ov...
#139: How to Communicate Your Stepmom Role to Your Partner (Without Starting a Fight)
Alicia continues the Role Clarity Series by discussing how stepmoms can communicate their role to their partner without creating conflict or defensiveness. Many stepmoms struggle to speak up about their needs because they fear being seen as dif...
#138: Choosing Your Stepmom Role on Purpose (Not by Default)
Alicia helps stepmoms define their role intentionally instead of defaulting into expectations placed on them in blended families. Many stepmoms feel confused about where they fit and end up over-giving to keep the peace. This episod...
#137: Responsibility Without Authority Is Why You’re Exhausted
Alicia explores why stepmoms feel exhausted when they carry responsibility without real authority in blended families. Many stepmoms take on emotional and logistical labor without having equal decision-making power, which leads to burnout and r...
#136: Build Your Trigger Protocol (So You’re Not Feral in the Moment)
In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia teaches stepmoms how to create a personal Trigger Protocol to handle emotionally charged moments without spiraling or snapping. If you often react in the heat of the moment and the...
#135: Why Being the Mature One Is Quietly Burning You Out
If you’ve ever said, “I understand why this happened, so I shouldn’t still feel upset,” this episode is for you.Alicia explores why so many stepmoms intellectualize their emotions instead of processing them — and how that patter...
#134: Why You Handle It “So Well”… Then Fall Apart Later
Have you ever handled a stepfamily moment calmly, maturely, and with impressive emotional intelligence — only to completely unravel hours later?Alicia breaks down the difference between your thinking self and your nervous syste...
#133: Why Being Self-Aware Isn’t Helping (And Might Be Making It Worse)
You’ve done the work.You’re self-aware.You can explain everyone’s behavior in the situation…So why do you still feel triggered, exhausted, or quietly resentful?In this episode, Alicia breaks down why insight alone doesn’t ...
132: Why Type A Women Struggle as Stepmoms (Control, Perfectionism & Burnout)
If you’re a Type A, high-achieving woman who suddenly felt like she lost her footing after becoming a stepmom — this episode is for you.In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia speaks directly to driven, control-lovin...
#131: What to Do When Your Stepkid Says ‘I Miss My Mom’ Without Losing Your Cool
When your stepkid says, “I miss my mom” especially right after a consequence, it hits different. It’s not just the words; it’s the sting behind them. The comparison. The reminder that no matter how much yo...
#130: How to Handle In-Laws Who Stay Friends with the Ex-Wife
When your in-laws are still close with your partner’s ex, it can feel like emotional whiplash. You’re trying to build a future while they’re still tethered to the past—and it leaves you wondering where (or if) you fit in. In this extended episo...
#129: When Kids Flip the Switch (and You Take It Personally)
Kids are emotional chameleons — sweet one minute, sassy the next, and then asking for help like nothing ever happened. For stepmoms (especially those without kids of their own), those mood swings can feel deeply personal.In this...
#128: Too Close to Be Heard: The Real Reason Your Partner Shuts Down
Are you tired of repeating yourself and feeling like your partner just doesn’t hear you? Whether it’s dad guilt, lack of boundaries with the kids, inconsistency in parenting, or not feeling prioritized in your relationship — this episo...
#127: My House, Her Hoodie, and a Whole Lotta Feelings
In this deeply honest episode, we’re getting into the emotional weeds of what happens when the ex’s belongings, photos, or influence are still showing up in your home. From hoodies and framed photos to never-ending texts between your p...
#126: When the Ex Still Haunts Your Blended Family: Stepmom Jealousy Explained
Is your partner’s past still taking up space in your present-day relationship? You’re not alone—and you’re not crazy. Whether it's memories of the ex, old traditions, or constant reminders of “how things used to be,” retroactive jealou...