Schedule of Events

Stepmom Retreat Agenda

Sept 27 – 29, 2013

Friday Sept 27th

6:00pm – 7:00pm Registration
7:00pm – 7:15pm Welcome
7:15pm – 8:00pm General Session- Sisterhood of Stepmoms
8:00pm – 9:30pm Dessert and Coffee/Stepmom Fun Night Out/Mingle

Saturday Sept 28th

6:00am – 7:00am Exercise/Walk Together (Optional)
7:00am – 9:00am Breakfast at the Hotel for guests
8:00am – 9:00am Registration

9:00am – 10:15am  First Session – Successful Stepping: Is This Normal?

  • This session will tackle the most common issues stepmoms face, including how to : overcome SM loneliness and isolation, stay when you want to run, love porcupine kids, and guard your heart and set boundaries.

10:15am – 10:30am Break

10:30am – 11:30am Breakout Session #1

Co-Parenting Between 2 Homes-Parental Alienation Syndrome - Tammy Daughtry

Tammy Daughtry, MMFT is the Founder and CEO of Co-Parenting International,       launched in January 2004.  As a single parent for eight years, and now a stepmom in a blended family of four, Tammy addresses the critical impact of co-parenting with children of divorce and remarriage. Her book, “Co-parenting Works! Helping Your Children Thrive After Divorce” (Zondervan/HarperCollins,  2011) is designed for single parents, step parents, counselors, and public school administrators. Tammy’s upcoming release “One Heart, Two Homes: Raising Amazing Kids between Mom’s House and Dad’s House;” is a DVD series suitable for parents, public schools, counselors and churches to advocate for children in complex families. For more information www.CoparentingInternational.com.

Encouragement for the Full-time StepMom - Heather Hetchler & Gayla Grace

Full-time stepmoms face unique challenges such as how to: help stepchildren thrive in the absence of mom, cope while raising children you didn’t birth,  create and enforce healthy boundaries that encourage respect, and combat the full time stress. This workshop will also tackle what to do when your kids and the stepkids don’t get along.

11:30am – 1:00pm Lunch (included)

1:00pm – 2:00pm  “Let’s Hear it From the Men”

  • 5 Husbands with kids from a previous marriage will candidly share the re-marriage journey from the male perspective.

2:00pm – 2:15pm Break

2:15pm – 3:15pm  Breakout Session #2

Yours, Mine and Ours – Gayla Grace & Amy Urbach

This session will include tips on how to parent as a team with his kids and yours, managing the back and forth schedule, co-parenting successfully with the ex-spouses, the pros and cons of an “ours” baby, and how to cope when life feels overwhelming and out of control.

The Childfree/Childless SM – Brenda Ockun and Laura Petherbridge

This workshop is designed to help the stepmom who is child free (childless by choice), and the childless (desires to have a child but age, infertility. or others reasons prevent it). These stepmoms often feel shunned, judged or ignored by moms and stepmoms. Learn how to embrace your female role without shame, fear, isolation, or  guilt. A stepmom without children can be a wonderful woman in her home.

3:30pm – 4:30pm General Session

  • Why Does She Act That Way? – Tips to thrive when dealing with the ex

4:30pm – 5:00pm Closing
6:00pm Dinner by the Pool (Included)

Sunday Sept 29th

9:30am – Sunday Morning Worship Service & Closing Session

  • “Who’s Your Daddy?” with Laura Petherbridge

Laura Petherbridge explains, “I let Jesus save me, but fear, shame and loneliness kept me from letting him love me for a long, long time. And I didn’t even know it.” Join Laura as she shares when God’s lavish love broke through her wounded heart and set feet to dancin’. She explains how discovering her Heavenly Daddy’s embrace freed her to become a better wife, friend, daughter, and a smart stepmom.