Half/step siblings

I come from a family where I have one full sister, three half brothers, one half sister, two step brothers and one step sister. If I referred to them all as brothers and sisters people would think that's mad, as I would have three sisters and five brothers. In reality, I grew up in the same household as my full sister, and then my parents both remarried and we now have multiple half and step siblings. Sometimes I drop the half bit because they are biological (and it's just easier to say brother rather than half brother) but often I will state the half and step bit because it's relevant. It all depends on context.

Personally yes I think you are. Respectfully it’s not about you. It’s about your children and what they need and want.

This

My son’s half sister and half brother are his siblings. We all live together.

his step siblings who are not related to him and who he does not live with he would never call them anything other than step siblings, he doesn’t see them as his brother and sister. He does see his half sister and half brother as his sister and brother.

I also grew up with a half sister I lived with. She is my sister.

half siblings and step siblings I didn’t grow up with I didn’t view as siblings and I didn’t and don’t have any relationship with them.

No. My DC call their step sister, sister. I call her my daughter.

As someone who had 2 older half siblings I genuinely hated it if anyone corrected me when I referred to them as my brother and sister. We also had a massive age gap (21 years between my sister and I and 18 with my brother and I). If people looked confused when I introduced them then we may elaborate but to us we were just siblings. I adored them both.

my daughter is adopted and I don’t refer to her as “my adopted daughter”. She’s just my daughter. The “correct”/official title in my opinion can at times devalue a relationship and should be kept for official purposes only.

OP, you sound like the paediatric nurse who decided it was a good idea to argue with my 6yo dc - who was about to undergo surgery - who told her she had three mums. She went on and on, determined to win the argument! I tried to stop her by explaining as briefly as possible that dd has two adoptive mums and a birth mum. Nurse then said, oh god is the real mum coming in too? And dad's head whipped to the door.

What a twat she was, causing a small child upset because she wanted to be 'factual'. Don't be like her, OP.

you know nothing of our story and given I’ve brought them up all in the same home you’d perhaps think otherwise but again perhaps not.
the 6year old knows I’m not the mother of the older 2, he doesn’t know they’re “half siblings” so if that’s weird so be it!

only weird one is you and your constant posts 🙄

I have 2 children with my ex husband and a child with my partner. 14yrs between middle daughter and youngest but they are siblings nothing less. Would break my heart them referring to each other as half siblings and had a conversation with older 2 about how if we end up dying i wouldn’t expect them to raise a young child when they have their own lives to lead and aslong as they visited her regularly she could go to foster care but they both said absolutely not she’s their little sister and would do their best to bring her up.

I’m a step and half sibling. My (half) sisters and I have never differentiated, neither does my baby step brother. I’m their big sister and they are my sisters. Even their dad (my step dad) and his second wife (mum of step bro) have never called me anything other than ‘sis’.

Guess it depends on the perspective and goals of the parents. Mine (step and bio parents) were major f*ck ups, but they wanted us to have each other, regardless.

You said you'd be very hurt by them stating a simple truth. It hasn't come up because they will know that they aren't allowed by you to feel the truth, and you do have issues.

And how does your six year old not know a simple fact about their family? So weird to hide peoples biology.

Steps and halves are two completely different things. If my children had step siblings then I would want them to have a lovely relationship but I wouldnt want them calling each other brother/sister.. its simply not true. But thats just my feelings and I don't pretend to understand others family situations. Half siblings, I see no need to make a distinction about the half.. they are siblings. In my experience half siblings and full siblings are the same when you grow up together but huge age gaps and/or growing up in different homes can mean they feel very 'other' and not anything like the same as your full siblings who you shared a home and childhood with.

I find 'current husband' keeps them on their toes 😁

Never have or will control it.

both ways call each other brother and sister.
as I said it’s never even come up!

15yo knows, 6yo knows no different currently!!!

You too.
Parents, stop trying to control your childrens feelings and force relationships. If you'd be very hurt by your children telling the truth, you need therapy.

You're just as bad as the OP.

If he correctly wants to refer to his half siblings as half siblings, it's not ok for you incorrectly correct him. It's not on at all, it's weird and it's controlling

But they ARE his half-siblings. So you’d be incorrectly “correcting” him.

My DS has 3 ‘half’ siblings who are my exH children. If he called them a half sibling I would correct him and tell him they’re actually his brother / sisters

Not my DC…. but DH refers to his 1/2 siblings as brother and sister and I refer to my 1/2 brother as brother.

I would prefer my kids to just say brother or sister if it was relevant to them.

Yes.

@Pickledeverything
If you had a child and then a child with another man a few years later , would you refer to your children as half siblings.
Every time people asked how many children do you have - would you say - I have two children but they are half siblings ?

I have both. I refer to my half-brother and half-sisters as my little brother and sisters (but sometimes explain that the 20 year age gap is because they’re half-siblings). I’ve always said stepbrothers for the others, though - mainly because we didn’t see a lot of them growing up despite having a much smaller age gap, and although we’re all very cordial now, we don’t really have the same level of relationship. We do all wish each other well, though, there’s no acrimony whatsoever!

I had a adopted brother we didn't always get on when he passed the undertaker kept referring to him as my mum step son he wasn't he was her son.
Sometime if I'm explaining problems that he had which run in his birth family I will explain he was adopted or if people see his photo as he was off mixed race I'll explain he was adopted but mostly I say my brother their was certainly no difference to my parents

Never. Not even come up that they’re “half”, to the kids they are their brother & sister.

I’d actually be VERY hurt if I heard my two refer to the older two as “half” and likewise the other way.
the 15yo understands the logistics, the 6yr old doesn’t, one day he’ll realise!