My Bonus Mom!: Taking the Step Out of Stepmom - Softcover

Who is this woman? Is she going to replace mommy? Will daddy love her more than me? What if she doesn't like going to the zoo? When children of divorced or widowed parents first hear of their father's intention to remarry, they not only have to work through their own fears and feelings of uncertainty, they have to battle with century-old fairytales and modern movies that depict stepmothers as evil. However, Tami Butcher's first book in a series of books that address family matters in child-friendly rhyme opens the doors to their hearts and minds, by showing kids the positive possibilities of gaining a "bonus mom."

Tami Butcher made it her goal to write a children’s book while teaching seventh-graders at Phoenix Prep Academy.

As a child, she grew up with what she lovingly refers to as her “bonus mom,” a nurturing, caring woman many would refer to as a “stepmother.” Butcher’s parents amicably divorced when she was 11, and for the sake of Butcher and her three sisters, decided to keep each other fully involved in their children’s lives despite the divorce. Eventually both her parents remarried, but they continued to share birthdays, holidays and special times together with their children, as well as with their new spouses. Because of her parents’ efforts, Butcher and her sisters grew up feeling blessed for having two moms and dads instead of “stepparents.“

Reflecting on her own family dynamics, Butcher realized that if she could plant a seed in children’s minds that having a stepmother or stepfather can be a “bonus,” then their minds and hearts might grow to accept their parents’ new spouses instead of automatically thinking of them as evil as many childhood fairytales portray them. The product of that revelation was My Bonus Mom!

Currently, Butcher resides in Chandler, Ariz. with her husband and three children. When she’s not volunteering, writing or promoting her new book, she helps with the family restaurant business. Her mother and “bonus dad” own Rustler’s Rooste Steakhouse and Aunt Chilada’s at Squaw Peak restaurants. Although her professional life is full, she always makes room for her greatest pride and joy: her family.