Divorce seems to be a growing epidemic in the U.S. today, and almost half of our school population is made up of students who are from divorced families. Movies today, and in recent times have always portrayed stepparents as evil-doers: villainous adults who want nothing more than to wreak havoc in the lives of innocent kids for the viewing pleasure.

News Flash: Not all stepparents are monstrous meanies that want to ruin lives. Some actually want to have a relationship with their stepchildren, but most children just won’t give them a chance.

Just because a stepparent isn’t related by blood, does not mean they are incapable of love. I have a stepmother who sends me care packages almost every month. She sends me clothes, jewelry, candy, little notes and even handmade cards. She loves to talk to me on the phone after school about girl things too. My stepmother is trying to have a communicative relationship with me.

Unfortunately, Disney loves to ruin that quaint reality by portraying wicked stepmothers who entrap their stepdaughters as slaves: forbidden to go to the ball.

Stepparents are not out to ruin their stepchildren’s lives, step-parents are set out to be a part of it and make a new life with them. Maybe it’s time to take a chance on them and let them enrich the lives of their stepchildren in some prospect.