โItโs been incredibly helpful for me and also just understanding my role as a step-parent,โ Katherine said of her coaching sessions during a joint appearance on the Parenting & You With Dr. Shefali podcast last month. โStep-parenting, like parenting, has no handbook. Because I have the benefit of being in both roles.โ
โStep-parenting is extra confusing because you arenโt a parent, youโre not a nanny, youโre not an assistant,โ she continued. โYou have responsibilities in all of those areas but youโre not either of them.โ
For his part, Chris acknowledged just how difficult being a step-parent can be.
โChildren are children and theyโre on their own paths,โ he explained. โTheyโre probably having to continually process the fact that they are children of divorce. If a parent is in there doing the hard work of creating a structure for a child and holding children accountable, and itโs not a biological child, it can feel thankless. But itโs a really, really important job.โ
For a deeper dive into Chris and Katherineโs romance and life at home, keep readingโฆ
