Welcome to Karen Feeding, the show where we raise the next generation together.

I'm Elizabeth Newkamp.

I write the family travel blog Dutch Dutch Goose.

I'm the mom to Henry who's 13, Oliver who's 11, and Teddy who's 8.

We live in Tokyo, Japan.

I'm Jamila Lemieux, a writer, contributor to Slate's Karen Feeding parenting column, and mom to Naima, who's 12, and we live in Los Angeles.

I'm Zach Rosen. I make another podcast. It's called The Best Advice Show, and I am dad to Noah, who's seven, and Ami, who's four. We live in Amsterdam.

Today on the show, we're talking about a tricky dynamic between a

stepson and his step grandparents. Our listener doesn't differentiate between her stepson and her

bio kids in her home, but when her parents interact with the kids, it's a different story.

So our listener is wondering what's normal and how to patch up the issues with her husband

who's upset by it.

And after all that, of course, we'll circle up for a round of triumphs and fails.

So let's get going, but first, we're going to take a quick break.

This episode is brought to you by Gab.

You know we talk a lot in the show about our complicated relationship with screens. We want our kids to be able to stay in touch, to feel connected, but we don't love

what too much screen time, especially social media, is doing to them. I mean, teens are averaging

nine hours a day on screens outside of school. That's not just a lot of time. It's a lot of influence,

and not all of it is good. That's why I really appreciate something like the Gab Watch. It's designed

for kids, not repurposed from adult tech. With Gab, your kid can text and call a short list

of approved contacts, no internet, no social media, no rabbit holes.

You get real-time location tracking and everything is managed through the MyGab parent app.

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