The Stepmom Side Podcast

If you’ve recently found yourself forgetting appointments, waking up drenched in sweat at 2 a.m., struggling to concentrate, or feeling completely overwhelmed by things you used to manage without a problem, it may not be a character flaw. It could be perimenopause.
In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia sits down with Jennifer Gularson, PA-C, IFMCP, to unpack what really happens to women’s bodies and brains during perimenopause and menopause.
Jennifer explains why perimenopause symptoms can begin while a woman is still having regular periods—and why those symptoms may disappear for months before returning with a vengeance. They discuss estrogen fluctuations, brain fog, forgetfulness, hot flashes, night sweats, changing periods, anxiety, sleep disruption, fatigue, and the sudden feeling that your usual ability to handle life has packed a bag and left without notice.
They also have an honest conversation about libido, painful sex, vaginal dryness, emotional safety, mental load, and why “just try to get in the mood” is deeply unhelpful advice.
In this episode, they discuss:
What perimenopause is and how early symptoms can begin
Why symptoms can fluctuate from one cycle or month to the next
How estrogen and progesterone changes affect memory, mood, sleep, and stress tolerance
Lesser-known perimenopause symptoms women may not recognize
Why women may wake up hot, sweaty, or wide awake at 2 or 3 a.m.
How hormonal changes can make an already-full mental load feel unmanageable
The difference between birth control and menopausal hormone therapy
This conversation offers women language for what they may be experiencing, options to discuss with a qualified provider, and an important reminder: struggling with energy, memory, sleep, mood, or stress during perimenopause does not mean they are failing.
Learn more about Jennifer and her services at Your Best Life with Jennifer.
Join The Stepmom Side Community for support from stepmoms who understand the mental and emotional load of blended-family life.
Explore coaching with Alicia for personalized support with boundaries, relationships, resentment, and finding relief at home.
This episode is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
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Want a specific topic covered? Let me know here.
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Want to learn more about The Stepmom Side community? Here's where you get all the info. Looking forward to connecting with you on the inside.
All things Alicia visit www.aliciakrasko.com
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Back-to-school stress can expose an unequal division of labor in a blended family—especially when the stepmom is managing school supplies, schedules, transportation, meals, forms, and everyone’s emotions while her partner waits to be told what to do.
In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia explains why resentment is rarely about one forgotten form or shopping trip. It often develops because the stepmom is carrying the invisible mental load: noticing what needs to happen, planning it, assigning tasks, answering questions, following up, and preventing anything from falling apart.
Alicia explores the difference between completing a task and taking complete ownership of it, why “Just tell me what you need” still leaves one person managing the household, and how overfunctioning can unintentionally teach a partner to underfunction.
In this episode, Alicia discusses:
Why invisible labor increases during the school year
How back-to-school responsibilities become a source of relationship resentment
Why completing a task is different from owning it
Why asking a stepmom to delegate still leaves her carrying the mental load
How overfunctioning creates an unhealthy family pattern
Why stepmoms often stay silent until they explode...and more!
Resentment does not always mean a stepmom is ungrateful or controlling. It may be a sign that she has been carrying more responsibility than she can sustainably manage—and that the couple needs clearer roles, stronger follow-through, and a more honest division of labor.
Explore couples coaching with Alicia for support with blended-family roles, resentment, communication, parenting stress, and partnership here.
Join The Stepmom Side Community for practical support from women who understand the realities of stepfamily life here. 
Support the show
Want a specific topic covered? Let me know here.
After you listen to this, tag me on Instagram @aliciakrasko and let me know what you think!
Get all the FREE RESOURCES here.
Want to learn more about The Stepmom Side community? Here's where you get all the info. Looking forward to connecting with you on the inside.
All things Alicia visit www.aliciakrasko.com
Get on the list,  get behind the scene info on Stepmom life, and tips delivered to your inbox.

What should a stepmom do when her stepchild refuses to complete homework—or when she cares more about missing assignments than her partner does?
Homework battles in blended families are rarely only about schoolwork. Different expectations between homes, unclear stepparent roles, limited authority, and a lack of partner support can leave the stepmom managing assignments, checking the school portal, enforcing consequences, and becoming resentful.
In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia shares her experience with unfinished homework, different academic expectations between households, and monitoring schoolwork more closely than her partner.
Alicia explains why a stepmom’s homework role should depend on her relationship with the child, how involved she is in the child’s daily life, and whether her partner provides real support and authority.
In this episode, Alicia discusses:
Why homework becomes emotionally loaded in blended families
The difference between helping with homework and owning the process
What to do when a stepmom cares more about schoolwork than the parent
Managing different homework rules between two households
Giving children age-appropriate responsibility for schoolwork...and more!
A stepmom can care about her stepchild’s education without becoming solely responsible for it. The healthiest role is one that is clearly discussed, supported by her partner, and appropriate for her relationship with the child.
Join The Stepmom Side Community for practical support with blended-family roles, boundaries, relationships, and expectations:
https://aliciakrasko.com/community
Explore one-on-one stepmom coaching with Alicia:
https://aliciakrasko.com/coaching
Support the show
Want a specific topic covered? Let me know here.
After you listen to this, tag me on Instagram @aliciakrasko and let me know what you think!
Get all the FREE RESOURCES here.
Want to learn more about The Stepmom Side community? Here's where you get all the info. Looking forward to connecting with you on the inside.
All things Alicia visit www.aliciakrasko.com
Get on the list,  get behind the scene info on Stepmom life, and tips delivered to your inbox.

What should a stepmom do when the rules are completely different at each house?
Different bedtimes, screen limits, homework expectations, chores, and consequences can make school routines especially difficult in blended families. Children may resist the rules, struggle on transition days, or repeatedly remind the stepmom that things are different at their mom’s house.
In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia explains how blended families can create consistent school routines within their own homes—even when consistency between homes is impossible.
Drawing from her experience with different expectations around devices, sleep, homework, chores, and discipline, Alicia discusses how she became the strict one, overfunctioned, experienced conflict with her partner, and began feeling resentful.
In this episode, Alicia covers:
Why different household rules do not automatically mean one home is wrong
How to determine whether a difference is harmful or simply frustrating
Why children compare rules between households
Responding when a stepchild says, “But Mom lets me”
Using “At our house…” without criticizing the other home
Preventing the stepmom from becoming the strict one...and more!
The two homes do not need identical rules. What matters is creating clear expectations in your own household and ensuring the stepmom is not left to enforce everything alone.
Download the free House Expectations resource:
https://aliciakrasko.com/expectations
Join The Stepmom Side Community:
https://aliciakrasko.com/community
Explore one-on-one coaching with Alicia:
https://aliciakrasko.com/coaching
Support the show
Want a specific topic covered? Let me know here.
After you listen to this, tag me on Instagram @aliciakrasko and let me know what you think!
Get all the FREE RESOURCES here.
Want to learn more about The Stepmom Side community? Here's where you get all the info. Looking forward to connecting with you on the inside.
All things Alicia visit www.aliciakrasko.com
Get on the list,  get behind the scene info on Stepmom life, and tips delivered to your inbox.

School events can trigger outsider syndrome for stepmoms. Especially when their partner’s ex and extended family will be there. Where should everyone sit? Should divorced parents and stepparents attend events together? What happens when a partner acts differently around their ex? And does a stepmom need to attend parent-teacher conferences to prove she cares?
In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia shares her experience of feeling ignored, displaced, and unsure where she belonged during school events. She also explains why she sometimes chose not to attend parent-teacher conferences when her role felt unclear.
Alicia helps stepmoms prepare for school concerts, sporting events, open houses, conferences, and other activities without forcing an uncomfortable version of “happy co-parenting.”
In this episode, Alicia discusses:
Why school events can intensify outsider syndrome for stepmoms
Deciding whether divorced parents and stepparents should sit together
Why separate seating may sometimes be the healthiest option
Planning for each school event individually
What to do when a partner’s ex ignores or excludes the stepmom
How to respond when a partner acts differently around their ex...and more.
There is no universal rule that says every blended family must sit together or attend every event as one group. The healthiest arrangement is the one that reduces tension, supports the child, and allows each adult to behave respectfully.
If school events leave you feeling like an outsider, you do not have to work through those feelings alone.
Join The Stepmom Side Community:
https://aliciakrasko.com/community
Explore one-on-one coaching with Alicia:
https://aliciakrasko.com/coaching
Support the show
Want a specific topic covered? Let me know here.
After you listen to this, tag me on Instagram @aliciakrasko and let me know what you think!
Get all the FREE RESOURCES here.
Want to learn more about The Stepmom Side community? Here's where you get all the info. Looking forward to connecting with you on the inside.
All things Alicia visit www.aliciakrasko.com
Get on the list,  get behind the scene info on Stepmom life, and tips delivered to your inbox.