May 24, 2012 by admin

What made ‘blended’ splendid? “Stepfather of the Year” contest announced.

DATELINE: PLYMOUTH, MA…

25 Ways to go from Stepfather to StepDad author Joe D’Eramo recently announced plans for a “Stepfather of the Year” award to recognize the important role stepdads play in blended families.

In nominating a Stepfather of the Year, D’Eramo is soliciting anecdotes from members of blended families—families with children from previous marriages/relationships. The person submitting the most touching story about that transcendent moment when their blended family became splendid will win dinner for two at Olive Garden.

“Being a stepfather can be a tough gig. As much as the kids might have been excited about Mom getting remarried, living with another adult in the house is an adjustment,” said D’Eramo, stepfather to two. “But there are these events in our lives, good or bad, where we cross that line and become a family. That’s what I want to hear from other blended families as they nominate their stepdads.”

Interested blended family members can enter their stepdad by telling their story on the 25 Ways to go from Stepfather to StepDad Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/mystepdad (you have to like the page first). If you are not on Facebook, you can submit your story in 250 words or less to joe.deramo@facebook.com. Photos are welcome. A winner of a $50 gift certificate to Olive Garden will be selected on June 18 (the Monday after Father’s Day). U.S. residents from all 50 states are welcome. You must submit a valid name and e-mail address to be considered.

“Stepfathers play an important part in the lives of their stepchildren. Yet it can be difficult for children to celebrate Father’s Day with their stepfather for any number of reasons—visitation schedules that require the children to be with the biological father on Father’s Day; guilt over celebrating Father’s Day with someone who is not their biological father,” said D’Eramo. “ “The reason behind this contest is so that I can create a special way to honor these men who do so much for their families.”

According to the website The Bonded Family, almost 2,100 blended families form in the United States every day. Another site, Smart Stepfamilies, states that more than 29 million parents (13 percent) are also stepparents to other children.

A Plymouth, Mass.-resident and step-parent of two, Joe D’Eramo recently published a new e-book, 25 Ways to go from Stepfather to StepDad as a way to offer helpful suggestions for soon-to-be or newly married men who are becoming husbands and fathers for the first time.

25 Ways to go from Stepfather to StepDad sells for $8.95 on Amazon as a Kindle book (Kindle also offers a free app that enables customers to read e-books on their PC) and as an e-book on D’Eramo’s website, www.hiroadcommunications.com. You can read more about the book and tips for stepfathers on the 25 Ways to go from Stepfather to StepDad Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/mystepdad.

May 6, 2012 by admin

Joe D’Eramo article in TodaysParentUSA.com

One of the more gratifying things about publishing 25 Ways to go from StepFather to StepDad has been the number of requests to write articles for parents publications. Here’s an article I recent wrote for a website entitled Today’s Parent USA. The article is called Steps to Stepfather Success.

March 15, 2012 by admin

My new e-book, 25 Ways to go from Stepfather to StepDad

Here’s the press release announcing my new e-book, 25 Ways to go from Stepfather to StepDad:

StepDad knows best. Plymouth, MA resident Joe D’Eramo authors “25 Ways to go from Stepfather to StepDad”.

DATELINE: PLYMOUTH, MA…

With blended families becoming more and more the norm, saying “I do” for many single men means becoming a husband and a father as well. Instantly. Plymouth, Mass.-resident and step-parent of two Joe D’Eramo recently published a new e-book, 25 Ways to go from Stepfather to StepDad, to offers some helpful suggestions for soon-to-be or newly married men who are becoming husbands and fathers for the first time.

“I was 40 when I first got married. I had a pretty close relationship with my six nieces and nephews and got on extremely well with my now wife’s two kids, getting married was a whole new ballgame,” said D’Eramo, a freelance copywriter. “The book talks about some of the things I did to smooth that transition, some of the things I wish I’d done, and some of the things I still work at.”

25 Ways to go from Stepfather to StepDad sells for $9.95 on Amazon as a Kindle book (Kindle also offers a free app that enables customers to read e-books on their PC).

Some of the topics and chapters in 25 Ways to go from Stepfather to StepDad include:

Following your spouse’s parenting lead.
Dealing with her ex.
“No, I’m his step…”
“Dad’s Day”
“Grandma/Grandpa? Nana/Papa? Sir or Ma’am?”
“It’s your turn, Coach.”
“StepDad! Pick up!”
“Respect all the parents”
“In-laws as allies”
“Hers and ours…Starting your own family”

All of the material covered in the book is based on D’Eramo’s experiences helping to raise his two stepchildren, a task that took on another dimension with the birth of his daughter nearly six years ago.

“She’s just about the age when I met our son. It’s been kind of nice to see the movie from the beginning with this child, but it’s given me an entire new perspective on how my wife raised the older two as a single parent,” said D’Eramo. “With this book, I wanted to let other soon-to-be stepfather or current ones know you are not alone.”

Adds D’Eramo, “Not that I’ve mastered the art of parenting. Far from it. I don’t have a Ph.D. in anything. I’m a just a regular guy who embraced the challenge of being a stepfather and was rewarded with the most fulfilling experience of my life.”

In addition to 25 Ways to go from Stepfather to StepDad, D’Eramo, a Framingham State University graduate, also penned Recipes for the Roommate-Impaired, available on Amazon.com as a paperback.

Visit the 25 Ways to go from Stepfather to StepDad Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/pages/25-Ways-to-go-from-Stepfather-to-StepDad/262404817174765, for more information.

About HiRoad Communications:

Based in Plymouth, Massachusetts, HiRoad Communications is owned by freelance copywriter Joe D’Eramo. HiRoad generates copy for web content, marketing communications materials, PR pieces, articles, blogs, social media sites and more. For more information, visit www.hiroadcommunications.com or call 617-848-0848.