I married my husband a year and a half ago, making me a stepmom to two great kids (13yr and 12yr.) We dated for 4 1/2years before marrying so I had ample time to develop a relationship with the kids. Their mother has residential custody of the kids during school and my husband has residential custody in the summer. My husband's occupation requires a lot of moving on our part. He has gone to court to ensure his parents have equal rights to his visitation time when we are unable to be present. This has proven to be instrumental to keeping a relationship with the kids because it is nearly impossible to have any idea how their lives are going by having to communicate with the mother.

Sorry this is so long...

I need advice on how to help my stepdaughter. Her mother moved herself and the kids in with 4 different men in as many years, got pregnant by two of them carrying just one of the pregnacies through. She recently kicked that last man/baby daddy out and within a week began dating a new man. Within a month she has decided to move her and all the kids in with him.

My stepdaughter now is switching schools and moving from an urban area to a rural one, things she isn't happy about. She feels that she is not and has not been a priority in her mother's life for a long time. She doesn't feel like her opinions matter to her mother and she disagrees with the way her mother has chosen to live. She doesn't wish to come and live with us (we are across the country), but she wants someone to listen to her and get her mom to listen to her about how she feels about how she must live.

My husband and I have been in and out of court at least once every year for some reason or another relating to the kids and their mother. The most recent was last summer for a custody battle. Both children have been to 2 different councelors and have stated these concerns.

Please, if you have some advice for me on how to help her, please post.