A Stepmother's View

Cinderella had one. So did Snow White. A "wicked stepmother."

Fairy tales cast her as belonging in the same menacing camp as the Big Bad Wolf — all sharp fangs and bad intentions. And modern culture doesn’t improve on the picture.

Today’s stepmothers contend with villainous stereotypes and high expectations. Often, they’re told how to act, what to feel, and that his kids should always come first. Author Wednesday Martin says to heck with all that.

This hour, On Point: Exploring the challenges, and exploding the myths, of stepmothering.

You can join the conversation. Tell us what you think — here on this page, on Twitter, and on Facebook.Guest:

Joining us in our studio is Wednesday Martin, author of "Stepmonster: A New Look at Why Real Stepmothers Think, Feel, and Act the Way We Do." A stepmother for nearly a decade, she and her husband have two sons. She was a regular contributor to the New York Post’s parenting page for several years and has taught cultural studies and literature at Yale, the New School and Baruch College.