Strollerderby

I don't know. On one hand I like that she seems to love him -she could have totally been a bitch about him "ruining" everything in her brand-new fairytale, and being a constant reminder of his ex. But then I also feel funny about her making these comments publicly, I do not think they were hers to make.

He's not "100% her own". She could have said that he was "very special in her life" or something, I think it would have spared his mom's feelings.

Well, I haven't been in this situation, so I don't really know how it feels.  But I think that I would not, as the child, necessarily view it as a usurpation.  As an adopted kid, my mother always told me that she was my mom, period. No reservations, no qualifiers, no adjectives.  But that my biological mother was also my mother. So I always grew up with the idea that it is possible to have more than one mom - even if you also have a dad.  Given that, you could see this, as the child, as an affirmation of unconditional love - not that Gisele is his mom and Bridget is not, but that Gisele loves him as much as if he were her own child.

my stepmom used to always say obnoxious things like that(like joking with waiters about her "hard labor" with me and my twin sister). It was beyond insulting to us and especially to my mother. Why can't she just be his stepmother. that doesn't have to be a bad thing. She's not his mother, and will never be. Imagine if someone else claimed your own child as their own, and to say it to the whole world on top of that... it's incredibly obnoxious. It's lovely that she loves him. You can love him as his stepmother. Saying he's "100% her own" is just catty. I remember back to how my mom felt( and my mother in law has at times told people that she is my daughter's mom, and then bragged to me about it like that was a cute thing to do) and it makes my blood boil.

I can understand how monyahan would be annoyed by this. Tom Brady left her while she was pregnant with his child to go play house with a hot NOT pregnant woman. She had to go through the entire pregnancy without him and all the meanwhile he's having an open relationship with gisele. Im sure she got asked about the situation ALL the time when she was out and about. AND THEN to have the other woman say that her baby is like 100% hers?? Oh nuh uh. I would lose my sh*t. I would def have something to say about it.

Its great that she loves the baby, but the words she chose to use (if she did in fact say it that way, some magazines make stuff up) are so disrespectful towards monyahan.

My stepfather does love me like one of his own children, and doesn't use a qualifier when he talks about me or my siblings.  We are his children. Full stop.  This is really important to me.  He has never made me feel that he was trying to reduce or eliminate my father's role in my life, or that he felt MORE my parent than my father.  It isn't about my father at all; it's about my relationship with my step-dad.  I WOULD be hurt and offended if my step-father were interviewed in a major magazine or newspaper and he did feel the need to qualify or quantify his love for us.  That would be MUCH harder to read than that someone loves me.

I also cannot hear about this story without thinking of adopted children, like Leahsmom above.  

I'm gonna give Giselle the benefit of the doubt here and say that what she meant by that comment was that she is 100% devoted to the sweet little baby her husband had with his ex. That is a lovely sentiment. I don't think she meant any disrespect and the fact that she is not a native speaker of our language means that she might be less precise when explaining herself from time to time. I get why Moynahan would be a bit miffed by her phraseology, but the intent was pure if I am interpreting G correctly.

Gisele was totally out of line.  Making a comment like that is only going to do one thing....CAUSE PROBLEMS.  If she didn't know that, then she's stupid.  My husband has an ex-wife and a teenage son with her.  I have been in their son's life for 16 years.  I do love him as if he were my own son and treat him as my own.  Would I ever state that fact in a forum where I knew his mother would hear it?  Never, because it would cause problems for my husband and for my stepson.  Do I like my stepson's mother?  Absolutely not and I avoid her like the plague.  There is a line of respect that you just don't cross, regardless to whether you like the other person or not.  It's called maturity and obviously, Giselle doesn't have it.  Making a statement like that to a magazine is a loaded gun.  Of course it's going to make it's way back to Bridget, I believe that was Giselle's point.  It was rude and very disrespectful.  I always thought that she was a beautiful woman and had incredible business sense.  Giselle has always been a favorite of mine.  Now, I can't really say anything positive about her.  I'm really disappointed.  She is shallow and selfish.  I hope that Giselle never talks about TOM AND BRIDGET'S BABY in public again.        

I am a stepmom and everyone in my life -- my friends, my husband, my kids' mom, my kids' mom's family, etc. -- all know that I love my kids as if they were birthed by me.

I cannot have my own children which is fine with me because I have poured my heart and soul into taking care of my kids.

Like SomeonesStepchild said above, I don't use a qualifier anymore. I consider them my kids particularly given the fact that we've all been through a huge situation with one of my kids' health and we've all pulled together to get my child treatment. All of us -- Mom, Dad, Stepmom.

I am a stepmom to a teenage son. I have been with his dad for 7 years. His parents have equal share of time with him. We get along really well with his mom and stepdad. We sit by each other at his soccer games and even had them over for Thanksgiving. I know his mom well enough to know where my bounderies must lie. I know that at times she has felt threatened by me. Out of respect to her I am careful to identify myself as his Stepmom. I do call him my son and she seems okay with that. I do think that my caution in this area has gotten me respect from her. I think she appreciates that there is not a silent war there.

On the other hand, my ex who I have a daughter with was dating this monster of a girl who used to identify herself as my daughter's stepmom. I would get so angry because they weren't married and she did not need to identify with my kid at all.

I do think it makes a difference how the mom and stepmom feel about each other and if they respect each other. Ultimately, I believe the mom should have some say in this area.

As a stepmom myself, to claim the child is 100 percent yours seems to show a self esteem problem with her. My sister in law has forced her stepdaughter to call her mommy since she married my bro in law and it totally pisses me off. It is insanely immature, rude and completely rotten. I don't know why she does that but I think she is just so insecure in her own parenting, and also jealous of the real mom because she doesn't have kids yet. I embrace being a parent to my husbands two kids, and while I do not care for his ex wife and how she treats the kids, I would NEVER disrespect her as their mom. I respect those boundaries and she respects me enough to allow me to have a close relationship with the kids as the stepmom. It is possible to treat the kids like your own 100 percent and to love them with 100 percent of your heart but in the end, know your place.

I have a daughter and her step-father would have made the same comment. I don't think it was intended the way it sounds. My husband sees my daughter as his own i.e. "100% my own". He takes care of her needs and loves her as if she were is own. I believe this is has been blown out of proportion and Bridge should feel a little less animosity towards Gi and be thankful she doesn't hate the kid. So little John has 3 loving parents instead of 2 ... someday maybe he'll have 4!!!!

I am a step-mom myself.  My step-son is 5 years old and I have known him since he was 2 years old.  I love my step-son as much as I could imagine loving my own son and I have made that known with my husband, my step-son and his mother.  However, I have always, without question, be VERY respectful of his mother's feelings.  I have always treated her as I would have wanted to be treated if the roles were reversed.  I was a new women in her son's life taking over where she once stood with his father.  I was always very sensitive when I was in her presence with my step-son around.  If Gisele loves her step-son then the best thing that she could do for him is respect his mother's feelings and unspoken boundaries.  A child can sense and feel when there is tension and resentment among the adults in his life especially the older her gets.  The best environment she could create for him would be an environment where she and his mother respect one another and get along.  Not creating tension between them because that would be putting him in the middle of it.  It is not the little boys fault that his mother and father did not work out so he should have to pay the price by being in the middle of a feud among adults that should know better.  Saying that she loves him like he was her own is one thing.  However, saying that he is 100% hers would be hurtful to any mother.  When she is with her step-son, his mother is still his mother.  There is nothing she can do to change that.  If she means well, and wants to do right by her step-son, then she needs to back up and be a step-mom.  She doesn't need to try and replace his mother.  If she doesn't take a step back, not only will she have tension and resentment with his mother, she will have tension and resentment with her step-son as well.  

This comment is not out of line in any way.  Stepmoms tread on thin ice at all times with the biological parents and society.  We are expected to love our stepchildren and go out of our way to make room for them in our lives all while receiving little respect or credit for our sacrifices.  It is very difficult to love a child who reminds us of our husband's past love, but we do so and put our own feelings aside.  If Gisele feels a strong connection with her stepson then that is amazing and she has every right to express it.  Just because she did not carry the child does not mean she does any less mothering. She may have just as much contact with him as his biological mother and has the right to speak her mind.  Unfortunately stepparents get very few rights regarding their stepchildren, but I think this is one that to which she is entitled.

I absolutely agree with the last comment. I am raising my 6 year old stepdaughter whom my husband has physical custody of.  The role of stepmother is usually seen by the biological mother as "stepping on her toes" no matter what you do.  We are expected to love our step children and care for them like our own but yet keep them at arms length so it does not offend the mother.  Well sorry, that is just too bad for the biological mother.  A stepparent deserves respect as well and if by calling them mom or dad seems more natural to the family, then the biological parent should realize that it is not about them.  It is about having a stable relationship with the stepparent, as they are a parent in the childs life now.  I think Gisele is expressing her love for the child she is helping raise when at her home with her husband.  Love from her will not hurt the boy but animosity from her will. Therefore, I think if a child has another mom in their life all the better.  Most children could only be so lucky as to have so much love and support in their lives.