I know blended families can be an emotive subject, but is the lexical choice really so very controversial?
I have 2 DSs in their young teens. I split from their father 9 years ago and he isn't on the scene much now, met DP 6 years ago and we moved in together 2 years back. Before living together, the DC referred to DP by his name or as Mum's boyfriend. Since we moved in together and occasions have cropped up when the DC have needed to give DP a 'title' as it were, like a football coach asking DS2 who is picking him up from training, they have referred to DP as their step dad.
Immediate family on both sides (mine and DP's) have all gone with that, but recently some extended family, a couple of passing acquaintances and the DC's father have all said it is wrong to 'encourage' them to use the Dad aspect of the name and corrected it to step father. DC's father especially says it is offensive to him and looks like DP is trying to push him out by taking 'his title'.
Is it wrong? The DC decided on their own to use the term. When filling in forms for school and the like and putting DP as a point of contact I have used step father in the same way I use mother for myself, as it is more correct for an official form. The people commenting are talking about the term being spoken in a casual way, so the same rules don't apply and they have no problem with me being called Mum or Mam.
I figure there is a wealth of knowledge on the subject of all things step here, so thought I would ask if I have inadvertently committed a huge faux pas or if the people commenting just have too much time on their hands to be worrying on a non issue?
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Step-parenting
Step father vs step dad. What's in a name?
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HopingItllBeOK · 07/04/2013 15:17
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