Stepmother’s Day is celebrated every year in the United States on the Sunday after Mother’s Day. This year, it falls on May 18. The aim is to show appreciation to stepmothers around the world — stepmothers are women who marry men who already have children. They usually play the role of mothers and help to take care of their stepchildren. Stepmothers have raised children and provided them with time, energy, and emotional and financial support. Since they are not the children’s biological mothers, they may not get enough recognition on Mother’s Day. Stepmother’s Day comes to celebrate the unique relationship between stepmothers and their stepchildren.
History of Stepmother's Day
Stepmother’s Day is celebrated on the Sunday after Mother’s Day in the U.S. every year. It was established in 2000 by Lizzie Capuzzi, a nine-year-old from Pennsylvania. She wanted to celebrate her stepmother, Joyce, so she decided it should be celebrated on the Sunday after Mother’s Day. Joyce and Lizzie sent Senator Rick Santorum a letter to let him know about the day. Santorum spoke on the Senate floor showing his support for stepparents. He acknowledged the day and gave Lizzie credit for creating it, and it was later published in the Congressional Record.
Stepmothers are women who marry partners that have children from prior unions. It includes women who reside with their stepchildren all of the time, some of the time, or never. Women who live with their stepchildren are referred to as ‘residential stepmothers.’ Nonresidential stepmothers are those who do not live with their stepchildren or who spend only part of the year living with their stepchildren.
Stepmothers who are involved in their stepchildren’s lives play a very important role. They help support the children and raise them to be responsible citizens of society. They can also play the role of the mother when the biological mother is absent. They provide a female role model in the home that the children can learn from and look up to. The stepchildren can usually confide in stepmothers in a way that they may not with their biological mothers. Stepmother’s Day is the perfect opportunity to show love and appreciation to the women helping to raise and shape stepchildren all over the world!
Stepmother's Day timeline
People remarry more due to divorce than early maternal deaths.
About more than 90% of stepmothers in the U.S. are nonresidential.
Lizzie Capuzzi comes up with the idea for Stepmother’s Day.
Around 41.7 billion dollars is paid by Americans in child and/or spousal support.
Stepmother's Day FAQs
How do stepmoms relate to stepchildren?
Stepmoms develop positive relationships with their step-kids by communicating effectively and being understanding.
Is it easy to be a stepmom?
It varies from situation to situation, but usually, being a stepmom is not the easiest job in the world.
What is another name for stepmom?
The name “bonus mom” is a good option, as it doesn’t carry a historically negative connotation.
Stepmother's Day Activities
Share the holiday
You can share the holiday to encourage more people to show appreciation for stepmothers. You can share it in person or online.
Appreciate a stepmother
You can do something to show appreciation to a stepmother you know. It can be a gift or well wishes.
Watch a movie about a stepmother
Many movies portray stepmothers. You can enjoy watching some of them.
5 Interesting Facts About Blended Stepmothers
Blended families are common
More than 40% of Americans of members of blended families.
There are many stepmoms
The number of stepmoms is increasing as more biological fathers get joint or full custody of their kids.
Stepmothers go through stress
Stepmothers experience stress from their relationship with the kids and biological mothers and a lack of clarity about the stepmom’s role in the family.
Stepmothers get depressed
Stepmothers are more likely to experience depression than biological mothers.
Supported stepmoms do better
Stepmoms who receive adequate support from their partners usually enjoy their marriages more.
Why We Love Stepmother's Day
Stepmoms raise kids
Stepmothers have played a big role in raising children for many years. They have an important role in the family.
They provide care
Stepmothers provide nurture and care to their stepchildren. Stepmothers can be a source of comfort too.
They can be fun
Stepmoms usually take on more of a friendly relationship with their stepchildren than a motherly role. It can benefit the children to have that relationship in the family.
Stepmother's Day dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | May 15 | Sunday |
| 2023 | May 21 | Sunday |
| 2024 | May 19 | Sunday |
| 2025 | May 18 | Sunday |
| 2026 | May 17 | Sunday |
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