You cannot have it both ways. You cannot tell a stepparent that you expect them to treat their stepchild "exactly like their own" and then say "oh, no you can't discipline the child". If a stepparent is going to spend time with the child and help raise the child then it should be all the way.
Dh disciplined my sons and their stepmother disciplined them when they were with her. Its not fair to either the kids or the stepparent to expect otherwise. Discipline can show love much more so than buying things ever can.
Amen


