Stepmother’s Day is the Sunday after Mother’s Day!

On Mother’s Day in 2005, I received the most unforgettable Mother’s Day gift. My husband is ALWAYS creative when coming up with gifts or memories for every occasion, and K and M have always looked forward to their role as well.

In the past years K (my stepson) spent at least part of the day with us on Mother’s Day, but this particular year is when things started to change, and his mother requested that he spend the entire holiday with her; which I completely understand, by the way. So, on one of his weekend visits, my husband decided to videotape the boys performing an original Mother’s Day rap so I could actually receive a gift from K on Mother’s Day, too! It was absolutely the cutest and most thoughtful thing ever because it came from their hearts. I also received dinner, jewelry, a card…but nothing compared to them telling me exactly how they felt about me and all the things I do, in a creative way. It was priceless!

At any rate, as a mother and stepmother, I look forward to those moments, just as any other mother would. As I’ve stated in several other posts, I have been in my stepson’s life since he was 4 years old and he’s now 12, so of course he’s developed an appreciation for the role I play in his life, and I have come to cherish the special moments and memories that we’ve created. Not to mention, that it’s nice when your children say; “Thanks for all you do for us, mom.” It leaves you feeling less like a ‘glorified babysitter’ (which is how my husband’s ex-wife refers to me) and more like a significant parent in this world. And, I don’t think any mother or stepmother is petty or juvenille for wanting to be appreciated. Every person in this world wants to feel appreciated and respected; not dismissed as someone that everyone can do without.

That being said, as a biological mother, I understand ex-wives who do not wish to share this important day with stepmothers. Yes, stepmothers are significant, but mothers are pretty important, too. Besides, we have to share our babies during every other holiday and throughout the year, so on this day, we should be able to be solely honored for the role that we play in our child’s life. As such, I was researching a way to resolve this issue and decided to see if there was a day that stepmothers can be solely honored, and to my surprise, there is!! Stepmother’s Day is the Sunday after Mother’s Day, and was inititated by a 10 year old who wanted to show her stepmother appreciation on her special day. She wrote a letter to the President requesting such a day and on May 21, 2000 Stepmother’s Day was official. So there you have it; everybody’s happy and no one has to share their special day with children the children that we love so much. More importantly, these children aren’t caught in the middle. They can spend Mother’s Day with their mothers and Stepmother’s Day with their stepmothers.