It doesn’t help that popular fairy tales and movies often perpetuate this stereotype despite reality often proving to be quite the opposite.

Wishing to raise awareness about step-parenting and to educate toddlers that living a happy and fulfilling life as part of a blended family is possible, Yuri Tiru Pillai Schneider sat down to write her first children’s picture book entitled “Two Homes, One Family”.

The book tells the story of Ian, a boy who lives in a blended family, splitting his time between two homes and calling two women his ‘mom’.

Meant for children aged three to eight years old, the book is filled with beautiful illustrations and describes Ian’s day-to-day life using easy-to-understand language.

The main character in her book is based on Yuri’s adorable five-year-old stepson, also named Ian.

“The illustrator, Shoma P Roche, who is my ex-colleague, spent time getting to know Ian in our home, so even the toys you see in the book are based on what he actually plays with,” the 33-year-old told FMT.

A place for Mimi

So, what compelled this communications specialist to write the book? Yuri said that she wanted to give women like her – who weren’t birth mothers but played the role of mothers to the kids in their life – a face.

She related an incident back in 2021 when she and her husband Sven Schneider, were playing with his son, Ian.

She said she remembered how Ian happily gave names to the figurines among his toys, naming one “mami” (the name for his birth mother), another “papa” and one more “oma” (his grandmother).

“At that time, I was so close to Ian, and we were practically inseparable, but he will not automatically pick up another female figurine and say it’s ‘mimi’ – which is what he calls me. That’s because when we look for toys, none show two sets of families,” she explained.

So, the couple searched long and hard for reading materials that represented happy blended families but were sorely disappointed when they could not find a single book that adopted a neutral tone or spoke favourably about stepparents.

She realised she felt strongly about being recognised as a mother to her son – and not just as a ‘stepmother’ to her ‘stepson’ as the bond they shared was real and strong.

“Not to be regarded as a ‘true’ parent really hurts because I love and care for Ian just like a mother. I’ve woken up at midnight when he needed me. When he had his first cold and didn’t know what was happening to him, I was there for him.”

Yuri completed the first draft of the book within a month and presented the first printed copy to Ian for his birthday on May 26.

According to Yuri, through the book, he now understands the concept of a stepmother. She also included a thoughtful family tree to help Ian understand his blended family better.

Through the book, Yuri also hopes to share the message that the concept of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace really starts from home.

“Through the acceptance of a diverse family background, the child will be more open to the idea of DEI when he enters the workforce.”

So, how does she feel after writing the book?

“To think that you’re doing something that could touch people’s lives is the most humbling experience that I ever had. It feels very good to be able to create this small thought starter. Maybe people would start talking about it, and the topic would become the norm after that,” she said.

To purchase a copy of ‘Two Homes, One Family’ at RM25.50, email Yuri at [email protected] or fill up this form.