WYSIWYG

What you see is what you get.

Stepmoms, we fell in love. How horrible is that? Why do we have to be someone we're not, because your husband's ex thinks whatever she's made up about you and then has impressed that upon the kids? The more it gets to you, the more it makes you crazy and self-doubt. You start to question whether you should change, and if you do change, the resentment starts to build....

It's one thing to believe in self-improvement, but constantly ask yourself if it's self-improvement or trying to live up to another person's standards- whether it be your husband's, the kids', your in-laws'... You need to maintain your own standards. Let your stepkids learn from your standards, which is why your husband fell for you in the first place.