Stepparents are notoriously evil. They earned these reputations partially as a result of the way that Hollywood commonly portrays them. One of my favorite movies as a child was Cinderella. Well, the main antagonist in that movie is the stepmom. But she is never just referred to as the stepparent. She is always called Cinderella's evil stepmother. Evil. That may be the most widely recognized example, but there are countless others. This results in many kids not being very welcoming to the idea of a stepparent. I know that there are lots of other factors that are affecting this as well, though. These include everything from not wanting to share your parent, to fears of rejection, to fear of change and lingering resentment about their parent's divorce. I know that I may not have always been the most open to my stepmom when she first got here, but over time, I have grown very close to her, and I love her dearly. The role of a stepparent is different in each case. It's whatever the kid and stepparent make of it. My stepmom came into the picture when I was in 8th grade and as a result, our relationship may be extremely different than that of a stepparent who raised the child from the time they were in diapers.

My stepmom is my confidant.She has got to be one of the most rational human beings that I have ever met. I, on the other hand, tend to think with my heart. She is my go-to person whenever I need advice. I value her wisdom and advice so much. She has this ability to put everything in perspective and help think about something rationally when I feel as if it's impossible and when I'm too emotionally involved. In addition, she was a business major in college like I now am, so she provides a wealth of knowledge that I tap whenever I can. I value her advice so much.

My stepmom is my friend. I know that we don't have a normal mother- daughter relationship, we never have, and we never will, and I am thankful for that. She came into my life in 8th grade, and she made a point never to try to act like my real mom. She is a mentor, and I still respect her as a parental figure, but she is not my mom. Due to this not being an issue from the start, it allowed the two of us to form our own sort of bond and relationship. She is a mother figure, but she is also my friend. And that means so much to me. I love this woman to death, and I wouldn't trade what we have for the world. Yes, we have definitely had our ups and downs, but it has all always worked out. I know that she is there for me, that she loves me, and that she always has my best interests at heart. We have grown so close, and I really look forward to my time with her. The myth of the evil stepmom is just that: a myth. A stepparent has a choice of whether or not they want to let the evil stepparent stereotype apply to them. Becoming a stepparent is not a small role to take on, and it is not easy at all. But some really work hard at it, and as a result, are able to make real, long-lasting, positive impacts on their new children. I love my stepmom to the moon and back, and she is definitely one of the good ones. My stepmom has really made massive efforts to take in my sister and I, and I am so thankful for that. I haven't made it easy, but she definitely has become the sort of step parent that I wish Hollywood would talk about more.