My step daughter calls me mommy, we are very close as if she were my own.

Let me tell you what it means to be a step mom. It means loving and accepting a child who you did not create. It means understanding that this life is new to them to. It means Co parenting and remembering you are the step mom even of you and your SC are close and you don't get to make the life decisions. It means biting your tongue when you don't agree with what the bio mom did that negatively impacted your SC.

For example, my husband called me to tell me when he arrived to pick her up she threw up, complaining of a stomach ache, apprently according to her bio mom she had been complaining a few days....a few days.... why was she not taken to the doctor? Why did you wait until we got her knowing we have a newborn who just got out of the hospital from having a heart procedure! But this has happened before and like those time I just have to keep my mouth shut and take care of my SD and make sure my NB doesn't get sick.

It means a lot of things but most of all it means realizing you have a pair of eyes on you and you have to be the best romodel you can be. So even if you are frustrated beyond belief at the bio mom, or sometimes even the dad, you still have to remember they are watching your reactions. So again I'll bite my tongue and do what I have to do.