To ask how you refer to 'half siblings'

[Overcomplicated]

Aware I'm going to be flamed by perfect MNetters but....
I have 5 DC. Oldest 3 born within a year to childhood sweetheart/first husband. He fucked off, never to be seen again.
DC4 was a result of a 1 night stand. Contraceptive failure, father not involved. Total blessing.
DC5 is result of 2nd marriage. They all refer to themselves as siblings. 'I have x brothers and x sisters'
They're all recognised the same within the family.
DC4 age 9 (SEN) came home from school on Friday extremely upset because a teaching assistant had referred to DC5 age 4 as his 'half sister'
For context, DC5 is mixed race. All 5 are aware of different parentage. I've just never made it a big deal.
AIBU to think I get to label our family relationship, not some random TA?

That's awful. I'd speak to them.
In my DParents families on both sides there are half-sibs and foster-sibs, they have never been referred to as such that I'm aware of. I've always called them aunts and uncles which is what they are regardless of origin.

Mine are just brother and sister.

‘Half’ is a horrible term. I had it growing up. Two older siblings who constantly referred to me or introduced me as their ‘half sister’. It made me feel like shit. Like I was worthless. Have no contact now for lots of reasons.

My ex h constantly tells Ds that his sister (my Dd) isn’t his real sister, only his half sibling. But I think that’s just to try and upset me as he knows they upset I went though with my siblings and to try and exert some more control.

My mother was widowed after her first three kids, remarried and had more including me. We’re just siblings. The elder three are my brothers and sister. They refer to me as ‘little’ sister. We all grew up under the same roof and were born from the same body.
Hopefully the TA will realise she’s been insensitive and apologise.

I have a half brother and step brother one side and a half sister the other. We call each other brothers and sisters, there's no half/step

I have 2 kids, different dads, they're just brother and sister

My sons refer to my DSS as their brother but know the ‘correct’ term is half brother.
Surely, your Step Son is their Step Brother not half brother.

I agree that the TA should have been more knowledgeable/considerate, (he could have been adpoted for all she knew) but going in to the school and calmly explaining how you/DS feel is absolutely the right thing to do. I'm afraid that it is inevitable that this will happen again.

Surely, your Step Son is their Step Brother not half brother.

Presumably her sons are with her step son's father therefore would be half brothers rather than step?

Surely, your Step Son is their Step Brother not half brother.

Only if they have different fathers

I have zero 'full' siblings but i I have four 'half' siblings and two step siblings. I had someone say something similar to me growing up and I was very upset because even at a young age, you know that describing something as 'half' unnecessarily has negative connotations and implies you're lesser/not as important.

Unless there was a discussion going on about the complexities of families and familial terms then there was absolutely no need for the teacher to petulantly refer to the kids as 'half siblings'. My brothers and sisters have all grown up now expect one who is still in Primary School and my blood would be boiling if I found out any of her teachers referred to us as only halves!

The teacher needs to be educated that it's up to the family to decide what they call each other and your kids don't need to be told what the 'correct' terms are

Same mum= brother/sister

Same dad: half bro/sis

@bugbhaer

I understood it as

The poster in question, has a stepson who has always called her Mum due to the death of his own mother in his infancy.

An interfering busybody at school then kept correcting and upsetting him by insisting she wasn't his Mum.

There was no need for the TA to use 'half sister' rather than just 'sister'. None of her/his business.

Mine call them their brother and sister but don't always mention them when saying how many siblings they have as they don't live with us and are adults.

I've only ever called them "half" siblings when explaining the relationship to people who should know.

No halves in our family. My mum married twice so I have 3 much younger brothers and sisters who have a different dad. They're my brothers and sisters and although I know it's 'technically' correct that we are half siblings I personally find it insulting to have this pointed out. They feel the same and all 6 of us (3 with my dad 3 with my step dad) are realky close

I just say ‘my brother’ for my technically ‘half brother’

Interestingly I’ve only heard others refer to their half siblings as either ‘my brother/sister’ or ‘my step-brother/sister’ but never half

Sister.

Only exception was when at GP surgery, they asked for a brief medical history of siblings - I then used 'half sister' to refer to DSD.

DD2 was at the use of 'half'.

Blended families get so complicated which is why using brother/sister except in cases (such as medical) where it is relevant is safer all round.

My sister is much much younger than me, basically a different generation, but I wouldn't say half-sister except as a quick way of explaining that age difference. People tend to find it interesting that I have a sibling who could reasonably be my child.

We are sisters. And she was pretty chuffed to be an aunt before the age of 10.

I call my sister, sister and my ds calls his sister,his sister .
No halves in this family