My 11 year old stepdaughter becomes visibly upset after talking to her mom lately. She's a sensitive kid, mom not so much. My mom never made me cry so I don't know what to tell her when hers does. It breaks my heart. I don't speak badly of her mom. I can't stand her but she's a good person and does the best she can for her kid. Right now the issues aren't life changing just the usual stuff that's important to an 11 year old. But if she can't talk to her mom now, what happens when the issues are more serious like parties, alcohol and drugs?

Does anyone have any resources for step parenting and how to direct her back to her mom while making sure she feels listened to and taken seriously?

Most of the stepparent resources I'm finding are about blended families. Her anxiety is increasing and so is mine.