Stepmothers Everywhere but Nowhere: The Unseen Struggles

I will continue to infiltrate traditional parenting spaces until stepmothers are fully acknowledged - not as an afterthought, but as an integral part of expos, seminars, and events centred around parenting. This is what makes me a Disruptor.

Becoming a stepmother, I often felt the general dislike people had for the role despite my presence. Even though I, Priscilla, am a stepmother, people would cling to their negative stereotypes about the role. They would disassociate me from the title because I was likeable, a friend, a colleague, or a family member.

I didn't take immediate action during those moments, but they allowed me to realize that stepmothers are not humanized. They're seen as characters to be treated in a particularly negative way. When someone holding that title challenges the stereotype, people tend to ignore them rather than shift their perception and recognize that stepmothers are just regular women with distinct names and identities.

Parenting sometimes feels like a big elite club where biological mums and dads decide who can join them. It's clear to me that same-sex parents, those undergoing IVF, adoptive parents, and TTC (trying to conceive) individuals are now more welcome in this circle. I know and feel this to be true because I have four biological children, which means I can fit in anywhere. However, I choose to show up and be recognized as a stepmother alongside my role as a mother.

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