There’s nothing worse than living in a household under siege, where screaming, fighting, and crying are the most common forms of communication and high levels of stress are just part of your existence.
During times when everyone is vying for power and their place in the family, it’s hard to feel any hope. In this kind of situation, when kids are out of control with anger and resentment, it’s absolutely crucial to have some powerful coping mechanisms in place.
It’s hard to remember anything at all in a heated moment besides the fact that you’re angry or hurt or offended. It’s nearly impossible to think clearly enough in the middle of a big conflict to recall that your stepchild is a wounded soul, when you want to slap him silly for mouthing off to you after he’s skipped school again.
That’s why it’s so useful to not allow the conflict to escalate to the point where you don’t have control over your emotions. For most stepmoms in high-conflict households, it’s better to avoid big confrontations.
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