An often-quoted statistic is that there are 1 in 3 families in the UK who are blended and blended families are also the fastest growing family in the UK. In the last decade, lone parent father families have increased by 22% and lone parent mother families have increased by 13.4%, so, if you are a woman over 20, whatever your sexual orientation, it is more and more likely that you may one day become a stepmum.
This role from as far as one can remember has been demonised in the media for entertainment and these perceptions have trickled into real life and have indoctrinated us from childhood. But to be a stepmum today, you do not have to be married, actively involved with the stepchild(ren), have been with your partner for as long as others deem suitable, be accepted by stepchildren, extended family, peers and the rest of the world, be living with your partner, have your stuff together, be a mother yourself, be divorced or widowed, or be white, middle-aged or a wicked witch! Today's stepmum can look like me – a young black woman with box braids and hoops earrings who is repelled by drama. If you are dating someone with a child, by default you are stepmum, and that is not something to be ashamed of. But if you are, that’s OK because you are not alone – we are going to talk about it, and fortunately for you, Disney lied!