ESP 8.5 Jonnie Jensen: dad, stepdad, superdad

In this episode of the Essential Stepmom Podcast, host Tracy Poizner explores the most common parenting styles and explains why they can play out very differently after divorce and inside a blended family. (To download the slides and parenting chart, email the word "chart" to [email protected]) For stepmoms, understanding these differences is especially important. When you see your partner struggling with boundaries, consequences, consistency, or connection with his children, the natural instinct can be to step in and fill the gaps. Tracy explains why doing that can actually create a new set of problems. Why Do Divorced Dads Become "Permissive" Parents? When a father has limited parenting time, he probably doesn't want to spend precious weekends arguing with his children. He may fear rejection or alienation, face criticism from the other household, lack confidence in his parenting skills, or simply want everyone to enjoy the limited time they have together. The result can be slipping unnoticed into the role of "buddy" instead of staying rooted in parental leadership, or letting the mood of the moment set the tone and becoming overly strict when patience is thin. That inconsistency can leave children unsure of what to expect and undermine the safety that consistent parenting provides. Where Does This Leave the Stepmom? A stepmom is NOT supposed to fill in the parenting gaps. This won't solve the underlying problem, and it doesn't help her build a long-term relationship with the children. Dad has to develop his own ability to occupy the leadership role. The stepmom can be a caring, attentive, affectionate, and influential adult *without* taking over any of the true parenting function. What You'll Learn in this Episode The four major parenting styles and how they differ The difference between leadership and control as a parent Why permissive parenting is so common after divorce How the legitimate fear of rejection or alienation erodes what you have to offer your kids as a father Why some dads seem to bounce between “buddy” and “admiral”How consistency helps children experience safety Why stepmoms shouldn't compensate for perceived gaps in parenting How to support your partner without taking over his parenting role When different parenting styles can be useful intentionally How divorced fathers can maintain leadership even when parenting at a distance The Bottom Line A stepmom can bring enormous value to a child's life without becoming another parent. Tracy's advice is to stand outside the parenting structure as a caring adult while allowing Dad to remain responsible for his parenting decisions. That doesn't mean staying silent. In the right moment, when your partner is receptive, you can offer observations, ask questions, and help him see where another approach might strengthen his relationship with his children. Resources For fathers navigating divorce, difficult co-parenting situations, limited contact, or parental alienation, visit www.UndeletableDad.com. Check out Tracy's "Master Your Messaging" video course, teaching divorced dads how to stay connected with their children when contact has become difficult or inconsistent—including how to maintain a leadership presence even from a distance. https://undeletabledad.com/master%20your%20messaging.dc Subscribe to the Essential Stepmom Podcast on your favorite podcast platform or on YouTube.

Blended families don’t come with a rulebook—and most traditional parenting strategies fall apart when you’re navigating two households, high levels of conflict, and kids caught in the middle. In this episode, Tracy Poizner sits down with Nina Cuellar-Barry, a retired special education teacher and certified Human Design specialist, to explore a powerful framework that helps parents understand their children on a deeper level. They discuss Nina's upcoming book Parenting with Human Design, and break down how exactly how Human Design can reveal a child’s emotional wiring, decision-making style, and behavioral patterns—giving caring adults powerful tools that actually work in complex family dynamics. If you’ve ever felt like nothing you try is working… this conversation might be the missing piece. What Human Design is—and why it goes beyond personality tests How to understand your child’s emotional patterns (and stop guessing) Why some kids absorb emotions from others—and what to do about it The difference between emotional vs. instinctive decision-makers How to reduce conflict by working with your child’s design, not against it Why traditional parenting tools often fail in blended families Parenting gets easier when you stop trying to “fix” behavior… and start understanding how your child is wired. Human Design gives you a blueprint—so instead of reacting emotionally or second-guessing yourself, you can respond with clarity and confidence. And in blended families? That clarity is everything. Some kids need time before making decisions—don’t rush them Others rely on gut instinct and should trust their first response Emotionally sensitive children may be absorbing energy from both households Not all behavior is “defiance”—sometimes it’s simply how they’re designed Examples of phrases to communicate with kids around your own emotions, like: “I’m feeling this—but I’m handling it” that help protect emotionally open children from stress Stepmoms navigating emotional tension in blended families Parents dealing with confusing or inconsistent child behavior Families experiencing co-parenting conflict Anyone looking for deeper, more personalized parenting tools Parenting with Human Design by Nina Cuellar-Barry – preorder available on Amazon Join the Essential Stepmom Facebook Group for positive , solutions-based community conversation: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theessentialstepmom Undeletable Dad Podcast (for fathers navigating post-divorce parenting): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/undeletable-dad/id1592210062 Essential Stepmom website: https://essentialstepmom.com Catch the Essential Stepmom Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms. 🎧 Listen & Subscribe 🛎️

This episode began life as a livestream in my free Facebook community of 1400 members, The Essential Stepmom. If you're not already there, please join us! https://www.facebook.com/groups/theessentialstepmom If there are any top takeaways from this episode, it would be these: 1. You can arrange your household and family dynamics to make it more conducive to you getting the respect you want. 2. If you're being disrespected in your home, you probably need to look to your partner to address it. 3. If you want to fix this problem so that you NEVER feel disrespected again - in any situation - there's only one solution, and it's an inside job.

Feelings of worthlessness seemingly arise for stepmoms from the daily realities of life - no established place inside the family dynamic, giving up much of your time and privacy within your home, not being appreciated for many of the things you do for the stepkids and not knowing how to address parenting issues with your partner.

Tammy Cohen, brand messaging consultant and founder of the Women Beyond the Table Business Network is the author of Text Messages To My Kids, a book brimming with inspiration for how you (or your partner) can begin, renew or truly uplevel your connection with kids - especially those who don't live with you or who are in a phase of life where they don't seem open to hearing from you. By going where they are - ie., on their phones - you can meet them in familiar territory and get their attention in a new way. In our conversation, I highlight 10 different strategies Tammy used that any dad (or stepmom) can copy or adapt to suit their own family situation and fill a communication gap with love, attention, security and trust.