The kids own perspective.

Thankfully I was able to very easily slide into my role as step mom/New parent. Even though I hadn't yet had any children. There really wasn't a transition period for me. I knew what my role would be if I wanted the job. And I knew I wanted the job.
As a very young child I became very comfortable with the concept of "step parents". Through out my life I've had 4 step (or "potential" step) moms and about to have my 3rd step dad. This is a subject that I am all too familiar with. I believe I was loving and  accepting of each of these "additional" parents that came into my life. However my step mom whom I refer to as "Mom",  I  have had for like 16 yrs now takes the cake. I remember taking to her immediately. She came into my life when I was 14. This also just so happened to be when I was going to need her the very most. God knows our needs! The next few years for my natural mom (whom I refer to as my Mother) and I became very strained to say the least. My Mom was there to give me spiritual guidance, pray over me, teach me, and love me.
 As a Sr in high school I could no longer handle my home life with my mother and step father and moved in with my Dad and my Mom. Through her actions,words and direction I learned so much. I learned to be a strong young woman confident in how God made me, learned the wife's true role, how to parent with love according to God's word, and most of all I learned to be step mom loving my children unconditionally and no different than if I had given birth to them myself.
 I knew that God had brought an amazing woman into my life but I had no idea that during that time she was training me to fulfill my destiny.

secondstring: being a substitute as distinguished from a regular, a backup

I thought long and hard about what I could use as a title when referring to myself and other moms in my position. I have always found it almost insulting to refer to my mom as my step mom.  She is far too diserving to have such generic title. When speaking about my kids I never utter the word step kids. I don't think of them as my "step kids" or "my husband's kids". They are my kids! I am their primary care giver. I do all the dirty and often unappreciated jobs that are required for raising children. When I knew I would marry my husband and commit to him for the rest of my life I also knew that I would vow to love and accept responsibility for these kids for the rest of my life. I did just that and it hasn't been the easiest of jobs but it is rewarding. And above all I know that I am doing exactly what God has prepared me to do, exactly where God has guided me to be. I am fulfilling my calling.