12 Things a Stepmother Should Never Say
4. "Why the long face?"
Your stepchildren are allowed to be sad—they're in mourning. Let them grieve if and when they feel like it. Sorry, but they probably will grieve more around you, since you're the evidence that their parents are never getting back together. Don't call attention to their sorrow; remove yourself, and get Dad to be a mom at this point. Their depression will pass—they're kids.
From the
May 2003 issue of
O, The Oprah Magazine
