Get excited because this lineup is incredible! Below you’ll find the event schedule.
Presentations will be released at 6 am CST each day and will be available for 24 hours.
For stepmoms who have spent years pouring everything into a role that keeps taking more than it gives, the idea of stepping back can feel like giving up. In this session, researcher and educator Erin brings both her PhD work interviewing stepmoms across Canada and her own lived experience to one of the most misunderstood strategies in stepfamily life: disengaging. You’ll learn what stepping back actually means, why doing less can paradoxically strengthen your relationships more than doing more ever could, and how to explain this shift to a partner without it feeling like rejection.
Tired of power struggles, lectures, and feeling like the “bad guy”? In this session, creator of Playful Heart Parenting, Mia Wisinski, shares how to use play—not punishment—to build connection and cooperation with your stepkids. You’ll learn simple, real-life ways to “activate play mode” in tense moments, ease transitions, and create a lighter, safer atmosphere at home. Discover how small doses of silliness can shift energy, strengthen relationships, and help everyone in your stepfamily feel more at ease.
Teenagers are a lot under any circumstances, but when you add stepfamily dynamics to an already developing brain, shifting social world, and fierce drive for independence, the stakes get even higher. In this research-backed session, University of North Carolina family researcher Todd Jensen shares what he has learned directly from adolescent stepchildren about what actually works, what backfires, and what they wish their stepmoms knew. You’ll learn why there is no single destination for a successful stepparent relationship, what the four active ingredients of positive stepfamily bonds really look like in practice, and why the impulse to come in and fix things can quietly undermine everything you are trying to build. Perhaps most importantly, Todd shares what young adults say when they look back on those turbulent years, and the message they would send to their stepmoms if they could: be patient, I will come around.
High conflict isn’t just a difficult personality, it’s a specific pattern of unmanaged emotions, extreme behaviors, all-or-nothing thinking, and relentless blame that follows predictable rules once you understand them. In this session, High Conflict Institute co-founder and 20-year stepmom Megan Hunter breaks down exactly what drives high conflict behavior, why your normal communication strategies will backfire, and what to do instead. You’ll learn practical tools including EAR statements, BIFF responses, and limit-setting language that can actually de-escalate volatile situations and keep conflict from spiraling. Megan also tackles parental alienation honestly, what it looks like, why courts struggle to address it, and what you can do in the moments you do have with your stepchildren to quietly teach them something different.
Stepmom life creates the perfect storm for anxiety, and clinical psychologist and stepmom Michaela is here to explain exactly why. In this session, she breaks down the three core forces driving stepmom anxiety: ambiguity, loss of control, and lack of support. You’ll learn why your constant hypervigilance is actually a hidden superpower, and what happens when it runs on overdrive for too long. Michaela also uncovers the surprising ways anxiety hides in plain sight, from irritability to boredom, so you can finally put a name to what you’re feeling. You’ll leave with a simple two-minute daily practice that can dramatically quiet the mental noise and help you stop reacting from a place of fear.
Resentment isn’t a character flaw, it’s the almost inevitable result of entering a family system that was never designed with you in mind. In this session, veteran stepmom and author Barb Goldberg gets honest about why stepmoms are practically set up for resentment from day one, and how it quietly hardens your heart long before you even realize it’s happening. You’ll learn how saying yes too often, absorbing your partner’s stress, and carrying expectations no one ever clearly defined all fuel the slow burn of bitterness over time. Barb shares practical ways to name what’s really triggering you, shed the shame around those feelings, and start redefining your role on your own terms. With nearly 35 years of stepmom life behind her, she’s living proof that there is a beautiful ending waiting on the other side of the hard seasons.
It might be the most taboo thing a stepmom can admit, but Alicia Krasko is here to say it out loud: not liking or loving your stepkids right away is not only common, it’s completely understandable. She breaks down why the pressure to “love them like your own” sets stepmoms up to fail, why forcing a connection almost always makes things worse, and how starting with respect and curiosity instead of performance can open the door to something real. Alicia also shares one surprisingly powerful question you can ask your stepkids that changes everything.
End each day with connection and clarity. Together, we’ll process key takeaways, celebrate wins, and address lingering questions so you feel supported and grounded. These sessions are designed to help you integrate what you’ve learned, reflect on your growth, and head into the next day with confidence and focus.
The childless stepmom occupies one of the loneliest intersections in stepfamily life, and in this session, anxiety expert, master coach, and 17-year stepmom Wendy Tamis Robbins gives that experience the honest, compassionate attention it deserves. You’ll explore what self-compassion actually looks like when you are grieving a loss most people cannot see, why your stepchildren cannot and should not be expected to fill that void, and what it means to stop using caretaking as a way to outrun pain that still needs to be processed. Wendy also reminds the stepmom who has given everything and is now running on empty that taking care of herself is not a retreat from the people she loves but the very thing that allows her to truly show up for them.
Being a stepmom comes with a unique set of emotional landmines, and knowing why you react the way you do can change everything. In this session, licensed counselor and stepmom Rachel Dunne goes beneath the surface of triggered reactions to explore what is really driving them and what it takes to actually heal them over time. You’ll learn how to respond with intention in a triggered moment rather than reacting from pain, and how the relationships closest to you can either pour fuel on the fire or become part of your healing.
Decades of research now tell us clearly what helps kids thrive in stepfamilies and what holds families back, and yet most of that information never reaches the people who need it most. In this session, leading stepfamily researcher Dr. Patricia Papernow walks through the five core challenges unique to stepfamily life and explains exactly why strategies that work in first-time families so often backfire here. You’ll leave with real, concrete language and approaches you can start using right away, along with the reassurance that positive turning points in these relationships can happen at any stage of the journey.
Navigating parenting disagreements, feeling like you lose your partner every time the kids arrive, and wondering if you’ll ever truly feel like a priority are struggles almost every stepmom knows well. In this session, Gottman-trained therapist Keisha shares practical communication strategies to help you and your partner feel like teammates instead of opponents. You’ll learn how to raise hard conversations without triggering defensiveness, why “catching your partner doing something right” is one of the most powerful tools in your relationship, and how simple rituals can keep your connection strong even during the most chaotic seasons of stepfamily life. Keisha also breaks down when and why to seek professional support, and reassures us that you don’t have to wait for things to fall apart before asking for help.
The struggles that feel most personal in stepfamily life, the rejection, the resentment, the constant need for approval, often have roots that go much deeper than the stepfamily itself. In this session, stepmom and coach Heidi Farrell breaks down attachment theory in a way that’s immediately relevant to the unique pressures of the stepmom role, helping you understand why you respond the way you do when you feel dismissed, overwhelmed, or unseen. You’ll learn the difference between anxious and avoidant attachment styles, how each one shows up in real stepfamily moments, and what moving toward secure attachment actually looks like in practice. Heidi also shares how building that internal security changes everything, from how you handle discipline to how you set boundaries to how much power you give to a stepchild’s bad day.
That feeling of performing, editing yourself, and never quite belonging in your own family is one of the most quietly painful parts of stepmom life, and it has a name: outsider syndrome. In this session, stepmom and writer Michelle Zunter gets real about what it actually feels like to be on the outside looking in, from being benched on parenting decisions to navigating the gut punch of being called “not the real mom” in public. She and Kristen explore the many ways this feeling shows up, both inside the home and out in the world, and why so many stepmoms carry shame about it in silence. Most importantly, Michelle shares the practical shift that helped her most: stop trying to break into existing family bonds and start intentionally creating new ones that belong entirely to you.
Custody orders, modification thresholds, extracurricular clauses, right of first refusal, morality clauses: the legal side of stepfamily life can feel overwhelming, and bad advice can cost you dearly. In this straight-talking session, Texas family law attorney and bonus mom Cherika Edwards cuts through the confusion to tell you exactly what actually belongs in your parenting plan, what sounds good but causes more problems than it solves, and what the courts really care about when things get contentious. She shares why finding an attorney who knows your specific judge can matter just as much as the strength of your case, and why the goal of any good custody arrangement should be protecting the kids’ lives rather than restricting the other parent’s. Whether you’re building your first order or considering a modification, Cherika gives you the honest, practical foundation you need to navigate the legal side of co-parenting with clarity and confidence.
End each day with connection and clarity. Together, we’ll process key takeaways, celebrate wins, and address lingering questions so you feel supported and grounded. These sessions are designed to help you integrate what you’ve learned, reflect on your growth, and head into the next day with confidence and focus.
Full-Time Stepmoms Roundtable with Heidi Farrell
Join Heidi Farrell for a roundtable designed specifically for full-time stepmoms who carry the daily responsibilities of parenting. This live breakout is your chance to connect with others who understand the weight, challenges, and rewards of being “all in” every day. Come ready to share, learn, and walk away with fresh encouragement and a stronger sense of community.
LGBTQ+ Stepmoms Roundtable with Monica Edenholm
Join Monica Edenholm for an intimate roundtable created especially for LGBTQ+ stepmoms. This live breakout is a safe space to share your story, ask questions, and connect with others who understand the unique experiences of LGBTQ+ stepfamilies. You’ll leave feeling supported, validated, and connected to a community that truly gets it.
Long-Distance Stepmoms with Lauren Weeks
Join Lauren Weeks for a roundtable created especially for stepmoms who are parenting from a distance. This live breakout is your chance to connect with others who understand the particular challenges of building relationships across miles, navigating inconsistent time, and staying present when you are not physically there. Come ready to share, find your people, and leave with fresh encouragement for the road ahead.
Stepmoms in Interracial Stepfamilies Roundtable with Joslynn Flowers
Join Joslynn Flowers, The Daily Stepmom, for a roundtable designed specifically for stepmoms in interracial stepfamilies. This live breakout is a space to explore the unique dynamics, joys, and challenges that come with navigating race, culture, and identity within your stepfamily. Come ready to share openly, connect with others who get it, and leave with a stronger sense of community and belonging.
Stepmoms Navigating Infertility Roundtable with Alex Willumsen
Join Alex Willumsen for a roundtable created especially for stepmoms who are navigating infertility alongside their stepfamily role. This live breakout is a safe space to share your experience, process the unique grief of wanting a child of your own while raising someone else’s, and connect with others who truly understand. You’ll leave feeling less alone and more supported in one of the most tender intersections of stepfamily life.
Fun dad is great. Fun dad who skips homework, skips chores, and parents entirely from fear of losing his kids is a different story. In this session, speaker, author, and Stepmom Sanity founder Cheryl Shumake unpacks the grief, guilt, and fear of irrelevance that quietly fuel Disneyland parenting, and why understanding those fears is actually your greatest tool for changing the dynamic. You’ll learn how to spot the patterns that signal a real problem versus a one-off pizza night, how to approach your partner with empathy and coaching questions instead of criticism, and why coming in as an ally rather than an enforcer is the key to actually being heard. Cheryl also shares what is at stake for children when one home is all delight and the other carries all the direction, and offers small, practical starting points for bringing more balance into your home without blowing up your relationship in the process.
When you’re dealing with a high conflict co-parent, it can feel like that person lives rent-free in your head all day long, and Naja Hall is here to help you evict them for good. In this session, the founder of VIP Stepmom breaks down the most common mistakes stepmoms make in high conflict situations, from misreading the situation to getting pulled into chaos that was never theirs to carry. You’ll learn practical strategies for compartmentalizing the conflict, protecting your nervous system, and training your brain to stop treating every provocation like an emergency. Naja also shares the mindset shift that changed everything for her, rehumanizing the high conflict person so they lose their power over you entirely. You’ll leave with a clear framework for reclaiming your peace, your energy, and your sense of self no matter what chaos someone else is committed to creating.
In this candid role reversal, fellow stepmom Chelsea Davis turns the tables and interviews StepmomCon founder Kristen Skiles about the things stepmoms carry quietly, the feelings they censor, and the gap between what their partners experience and what they actually live. From the moment a schedule change is announced to the grief of a life that looks nothing like what you imagined, Kristen gets honest about the parallel realities stepmoms and their partners inhabit without even realizing it. You’ll hear real talk about letting go of the tasks and roles that are quietly draining you, why your partner fell in love with a version of you worth protecting, and what partners most need to hear but stepmoms are often too exhausted or too careful to say. This one is worth sharing with your partner.
It starts gradually: every thought, every Pinterest search, every conversation revolves around being a better stepmom, until one day you look up and realize you have quietly disappeared. In this warm and honest session, stepmom of 16 years and Stepmom Goals founder Tammy J shares what it felt like to lose herself in the pursuit of stepfamily perfection, and the faith, intention, and self-compassion it took to find her way back. You’ll be reminded that you were someone before you became a stepmom, that your partner fell in love with that person, and that protecting her is not selfish but essential to everyone in your home. Tammy J also invites you to do something simple but powerful: write down what kind of stepmom you actually want to be, in your own words, on your own terms, and let that be your guide instead of the world’s impossible standard.
Most stepmoms think setting a boundary means getting someone else to change their behavior, and that’s exactly why it never seems to work. In this session, stepmom and boundaries expert Anita flips the script entirely, revealing that real boundaries are an inside job rooted in your own choices and actions, not other people’s compliance. Through honest, relatable examples from her own high-conflict step family journey, she shows what it actually looks like to reclaim your power in situations that feel completely out of your control. You’ll walk away understanding how to identify what boundaries you truly need, how to communicate them without shame or blame, and why boundaries done right don’t divide your relationships but actually deepen them.
You made it! Join Kristen Skiles for a live closing session to celebrate everything you’ve learned, processed, and shared over these three days. We’ll be announcing Bingo winners and giving away prizes, so make sure your card is ready. This is also your chance to ask questions, connect with the community one last time, and leave with a clear sense of what you want to carry forward. Come ready to reflect, share your biggest takeaways, and close out StepmomCon feeling supported, seen, and ready for what’s next.
Need more time plus access to incredible bonuses? Get ongoing access in the Full Experience Pass. You’ll also get daily Stepmom Connection Hour access, StepmomCon sessions in podcast form for 6 months, live workshops, courses, meditations, and SO much more!