We recently got to chat with Claudette Chenevert, The Stepmom Coach. If you will soon be a stepmom or already are a stepmom, Claudette is a great resource. For more information on her business, please visit www.stepmomcoach.com.
Tell me about your business.
I provide support and help for women who are stepmoms (or in a blended family) by showing them ways to communicate their wants and needs to their partner, help them establish healthy boundaries and house rules and understand what their role in their new family is.
I started Coaching Steps LLC and the website www.stepmomcoach in 2006 after I realized that I wasn't the only one struggling with trying to make my new family come together, trying to fit into an existing family and feel as if I belonged somewhere.
I tried to get resources that would provide me with strategies that would actually work for my family rather than just theories but that proved to be a challenge. There are lots of places out on the internet designed to vent rather than support and offer constructive information.
Stepmomcoach.com is a great place to get free information that will get you started on the right track with your family.
What do you enjoy most when working with a bridal couple? What is the focus of your business for bridal couples?
What I enjoy the most about working with a bridal couple is helping them get started on the right path to making their new family a success. Of course, we all define success differently and part of what I enjoy doing is discovering what success means to them.
I also encourage couples to talk about steprelationship issues that they may not have thought of
before getting married, such as dealing with discipline, custody change, paying for children's expenses down the road, dealing with an ex-spouse, handling holidays and special occasions, how involved with the children do each parent plan on being. Although these issues may not sound like a lot of fun, it is definitely a good idea to discuss these issues before they become a major issue.
Most often, I talk with the wife as she is the one not sure of what is expected from her during her marriage. Marriage is a very exciting time with lots to plan and prepare but can also be challenging in deciphering who should do what, do the kids attend or not, go on the honeymoon with the couple, etc.
What advice do you have for brides and grooms who are in the throes of planning their wedding?
The wedding is one of the most important days for the couple, but is most important is to plan for the
marriage. This is an ongoing activity, that doesn't end with "I Do", but is only the beginning. It's important to ask each other the hard questions that couples tend to think they will get to it if and when it happens.
I encourage being proactive in trying to think about the what ifs. Of course, you will never be able to
answer all the what ifs in advance. My focus is to help couples have those conversations before it's too late.
My advice to the bride and groom would be, "You spend so much time and energy in preparing for a wonderful wedding, consider doing the same for your marriage as a stepfamily. The more prepared you are, the greater the success at happiness you both will have"
