The Stepmom Side Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

When the holidays roll around, so does the pressure — to make it fair, to make it magical, and to not lose your mind when the ex goes overboard or your stepkids start comparing gifts. In this episode of The Stepmom Side Podcast, Alicia unpacks the gift-giving grief that shows up for so many stepmoms — the quiet, unspoken frustration of trying not to compete or control while still wanting to be thoughtful.

You’ll hear how to:
✨ Break the pattern of comparison between homes
✨ Stop feeling like the “gift police” when boundaries get blurry
✨ Reconnect with your real intentions behind giving
✨ Manage your emotions when stepkids brag or gifts feel one-sided
✨ Find peace, presence, and joy without overspending or overcompensating

Whether you’re navigating an over-the-top ex, trying to set spending limits, or just want to make the holidays less stressful, this one’s for you.

Listen to get your peace (and sanity) back this holiday season.

Podcast episode mentioned:
How to Give Better Gifts with Patrick Kucharson

Free resource:
10 Tips to Get Through the Holidays

👉 Join The Stepmom Side Community for extra support, live Office Hours, and validation from women who get it.

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.

The holidays can feel like a ticking time bomb in blended families — forced togetherness, high expectations, and the pressure to make everything magical can lead to major tension between stepkids and bio kids.

In this episode, Alicia Krasko tackles the emotional chaos of holiday dynamics: sibling rivalry, stepkid drama, and what to do when your partner doesn’t step up. She shares practical tools, mindset shifts, and boundary-setting strategies to help you protect your peace — especially when the oldest child is acting like a second parent.

You’ll learn how to:

• Navigate step vs. bio kid tension during the holidays
• Talk to your partner when they won’t take the lead
• Recognize and relieve the “parentified” oldest child
• Set boundaries that keep the chaos in check
• Adopt a mindset of progress, not perfection

Whether you’re hosting the big dinner or just trying to survive another blended holiday, this episode gives you real-world support and permission to prioritize your peace.

Free resource:
10 Tips to Get Through the Holidays

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.

Spiraling happens to every stepmom. You’re not broken—you’re human. In this episode, Alicia breaks down why stepmoms spiral, when it usually happens, and the steps you can take to calm your nervous system and find your footing again. If you’ve ever felt like your thoughts are racing, your chest is tight, and everything feels like too much, this episode will help you feel safe and grounded.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why spiraling is normal and not a personal failure
• Common triggers that make stepmoms spiral
• Simple, practical tools to stop a spiral and find safety
• How to shift from survival mode into calm confidence

Whether you’re new to stepmom life or years in, this episode will help you find peace in the middle of the chaos.

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.

Ever wondered what having an "Ours Baby" would be like? Would having your own baby help your dynamic? Make it worse?

What about using your stepkids's stuff to save money? What did the ex think? The kids? Were the in-laws weird about it and treat your kid differently?

All of these questions and more are answered!

I mentioned episode #18  "How To Navigate The Holiday Season" and here's where you can listen to that.

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.

After burning out at work and losing herself in a long-term relationship, Helen Snape realised that she had the ‘disease to please’, discovered the magic of boundaries and is now passionate about helping other over-givers do the same.

Helen has combined what she has learnt throughout her HR career, her Psychology degree and coaching qualifications and experience to become both an award-winning Healthy Relationships Coach and Speaker, having been interviewed on BBC Radio, the Women’s Economic Forum and been featured in Happiful magazine. Her debut book ‘Drop the Fake Smile’, which came out in September 2023, is a recovering people-pleaser’s guide to self-love, boundaries and healthy relationships.

Connect with Helen:

Free downloadable book: Building Healthy Boundaries – an over-giver’s guide on when to say ‘Yes’ and how to say ‘No’ in relationships

on Instagram
on Facebook
on LinkedIn
on YouTube

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.

Georgie Bryant is a work/life balance coach and time management expert.

She helps working women perfect their schedules at work and home.

After becoming a mum and returning to work, Georgie created her work/life balance coaching framework to get on top of it all.

Through her one-on-one coaching and digital products, Georgie teaches you how to balance your schedule, so no one in your life (especially you) misses out.

Connect with Georgie:

on Instagram

Time and Enjoyment Tracker

The Balanced Mum Method

Work with Georgie

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.

This episode is a bit vulnerable. I share real feelings, petty thoughts (and actions), and what the holiday season looked like for me in the beginning. Spoiler alert: it wasn't all sparkly magic with a beautiful silver glitter explosion.

I walk you through what my husband I did to carve out our tradition-something without the kids! Yes, even now without our daughter.

In this episode, I mention "4 Tips to Get Through the Holidays". A free resource for you going into this holiday season. Get it now...before the season starts so you have a tips in your back pocket to utilize. If you want a place to get a bit more support, The Stepmom Side Community is a great place to start. Connect with me every week on Office Hours and ask your burning holiday questions, again, before the holidays get 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.

A B- gift-giver by nature, Patrick Kucharson runs Better Gift Coach, a free newsletter that is a weekly 1-minute shortcut to always having awesome gift ideas well in advance. Each week, he enjoys sharing a story of the best gift someone has ever received, analyzing it, and providing guidance on how others can replicate it.

Just in time for the holiday season, this episode is all about gift giving and how to elevate the gifts you give. A simple tweak will completely change the way you look at how to select gifts. Listen in and take a few notes!  

Connect with Patrick:

www.bettergiftcoach.com

On Instagram

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.

Dr. Mike Rucker is an organizational psychologist, behavioral scientist, and charter member of the International Positive Psychology Association. He has been academically published in publications like the International Journal of Workplace Health Management. His ideas about fun and health have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Fast Company, Psychology Today, Forbes, Vox, Thrive Global, Mindful, mindbodygreen, and more. He currently serves as a senior leader at Active Wellness and is the author of the best-selling book The Fun Habit.

Mike talks through how think outside of the box when it comes to adding more fun to your life even with kids. Having said that, he speaks to burnout and how to change a few things to get through the burnout. He mentions how mistakes actually are a good thing and should be celebrated.

Listen in for a real, honest conversation about being a parent and how isolating it can feel.

Connect with Mike:
Mikerucker.com
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter/X

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.

There are many nuances when it comes to being a stepmom of any kind. There are differences between the two, and, yet, the struggles/emotions you'll feel are very similar.

Listen in on for tips on how to overcome a few of the different challenges. Why? I can't take my coaching hat off and not help you through this.

If you want more 1:1 help, coaching is the way to go. Pssst! If you're a member of The Stepmom Side Community, you get a 20% discount on 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.