The Stepmom Side Podcast

If you’ve ever said, “I understand why this happened, so I shouldn’t still feel upset,” this episode is for you.
Alicia explores why so many stepmoms intellectualize their emotions instead of processing them — and how that pattern quietly leads to resentment, burnout, and emotional shutdown.
Stepmoms are often praised for being mature, understanding, and “handling things well,” but that praise can come at a cost. When feelings are constantly explained away instead of felt, they don’t disappear — they get stored.
This episode breaks down the difference between intellectualizing emotions and actually processing them, and why skipping the emotional “ouch” is one of the fastest ways resentment builds in blended families.
In this episode, Alicia covers:
The difference between understanding emotions and processing them
Why explaining feelings too quickly blocks emotional release
How resentment is created from unacknowledged pain
Why stepmoms feel pressure to be “the mature one”
What to do instead of reframing your feelings out of existence
This episode offers stepmoms permission to feel first — without justification, explanation, or self-criticism.
✨ Resentment to Relief builds directly on this work, teaching stepmoms how to safely feel emotions without spiraling, self-abandoning, or stuffing them down until they explode later. Join the waitlist here.
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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.

Have you ever handled a stepfamily moment calmly, maturely, and with impressive emotional intelligence — only to completely unravel hours later?
Alicia breaks down the difference between your thinking self and your nervous system, and why logic isn’t enough to regulate emotional reactions in blended family life.
This episode is especially for high-functioning, Type A stepmoms who pride themselves on being self-aware but feel confused (and frustrated) when that awareness doesn’t stop the emotional spirals.
Alicia explains why stepmom triggers hit so deeply, why feelings often show up after the situation is over, and how nervous system responses are rooted in safety, belonging, and attachment — not immaturity or weakness.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
The difference between your thinking brain and your nervous system
Why stepmom triggers go straight to feelings of rejection and belonging
Why you “handle it well” in the moment but fall apart later
Why logic doesn’t calm a body-based response
What emotional regulation actually looks like in real life
This episode helps stepmoms stop judging themselves for emotional reactions and start understanding what their body is trying to communicate.
This conversation is a key foundation for Resentment to Relief, Alicia’s framework for helping stepmoms stop managing resentment and start releasing it by working with — not against — their nervous system.
Get on the waitlist for Resentment to Relief 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.

You’ve done the work.
You’re self-aware.
You can explain everyone’s behavior in the situation…
So why do you still feel triggered, exhausted, or quietly resentful?
In this episode, Alicia breaks down why insight alone doesn’t calm a dysregulated nervous system — and why high-functioning, emotionally intelligent stepmoms often struggle more, not less.
This conversation is for the stepmom who:
understands what’s happening but still feels overwhelmed
prides herself on being “the calm one”
keeps asking, “Why isn’t this working if I know better?”
Alicia explores how self-awareness can accidentally turn into self-pressure, why explaining your feelings doesn’t regulate them, and how emotional maturity has been confused with emotional suppression.
Key takeaways from this episode:
Why capable stepmoms struggle more than they expect to
The trap of “If I understand it, I won’t feel it”
How being self-aware can turn into being hard on yourself
Why insight ≠ nervous system regulation
How unprocessed feelings quietly turn into resentment
If you’ve ever thought, “I shouldn’t feel this way anymore,” this episode will gently (and lovingly) call that out.
This episode sets the foundation for Resentment to Relief — a process designed not to fix you, but to help your nervous system feel safe enough to finally let go of resentment instead of managing it forever.
Get on the waitlist for Resentment to Relief 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.

If you’re a Type A, high-achieving woman who suddenly felt like she lost her footing after becoming a stepmom — this episode is for you.
In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia speaks directly to driven, control-loving, people-pleasing women who were thriving before blended family life… and now feel anxious, resentful, burned out, or completely out of control.
Alicia breaks down the common pitfalls Type A stepmoms don’t see coming, including over-functioning, people-pleasing, perfectionism, and emotional burnout. She also explains what’s actually happening beneath the surface — and how to start letting go of control without losing confidence or identity.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why Type A and perfectionist women struggle more as stepmoms
How over-functioning leads to resentment in blended families
Why people-pleasing makes stepmoms feel invisible in their own homes
How control becomes a false sense of safety....and more!
This episode is a must-listen for stepmoms who are exhausted from managing everyone else’s emotions and ready to stop trying to “fix” blended family life.
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.

When your stepkid says, “I miss my mom”  especially right after a consequence,  it hits different. It’s not just the words; it’s the sting behind them. The comparison. The reminder that no matter how much you love and show up, you’re still not her.
In this episode, Alicia dives into how to handle it when your stepchild brings up their mom whether it’s “I miss her,” “She does it better,” or “Mom lets me.” You’ll hear real stories (including one straight from The Stepmom Side Community), emotional insight, and a few hard truths about what’s really happening when those words come out.
Alicia breaks down:
Why kids say things like “I miss my mom” and what they actually mean
How to stay calm and respond in a way that keeps your power
What not to do when it feels like manipulation
Simple, validating phrases that defuse the tension
Why leaning into the moment helps it lose power over time
If you’ve ever felt like you’re being compared, rejected, or just plain over it, this one’s for you. You’ll walk away with confidence, clarity, and maybe a little less sting next time those words come up.
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.