To ask if you had a "half" sibling growing up how did you find it?

[Borderline31]

Just curious, I'm a step child myself but neither of my parents ever went on to have more children so I never had to experience having a half sibling in one or both homes.

I am now a step mother and mother to my DSCs "half" sibling.

My husband has mentioned in the past he worries that his children will feel sad at being the only ones who have to go between two homes whilst his and his exes other children do not. There have been no issues that have been outwardly obvious, DSC seem like happy children and absolutely adore their new sibling(s).

But i'm curious, what was your experience and why do you think you felt that way?

@StillMedusa

My Dad told me about my half sister when I was 13 and he's had too much to drink. Sad back story as it was with his first girlfriend (and real love of his life) and she was shipped off to a home for unmarried mothers and forced to have the baby adopted as they were 16 and 15 years old.

Two failed marriages later... he met the first girlfriend at an old school reunion, married and started to search for their daughter. 4 years later, they found her and we all met up. She's 5 years older than me, had a lovely adoptive family and she's lovely. Now lives in the USA , and my DD2 and I stayed with her when we went travelling together.

So our story had a happy ending!

This is such a lovely story!

I have two half siblings, who are 20 years younger than me, they are my Fathers children, that's all. I don't dislike them, we just don't have a relationship- I'm NC with my father though so I suppose we just haven't had chance....

I have an older brother and younger half sister, although I would never refer to her as or even think of her as half, she’s just my sister. My brother and I spent weekends with my dad, which was just our normal and I didn’t question it. In hindsight it must have been strange for my sister, being at home every weekend without us. We are all still close as adults.

Ha! I’m always thinking that my dcs “half” brother (but obviously don’t call him that) will be sad that he doesn’t get to come here!
Rather than them being sad they have to live in two places…

However said brother is currently a baby so we’ll see…

5 half siblings, 4 step siblings and I know none of them well, due to the fact that I was always the outsider looking in.

My parents only had me, but my mother had already had 3 children by the time her first marriage broke down and she left her children in the care of their father and stepmother.

My father then went on to remarry and have 2 more children, who were 14 and 16 years younger than me. I was more of a babysitter/nanny figure in their early lives.

Father then went on to remarry again (should rename him Henry, given the fact he’s now on number 4) and became stepfather to 4 children, none of whom I’ve ever spent more than an hour or so in the presence of.

So, between those three sets of full siblings, I was very much an only only and, when asked if I have siblings, my answer (because it’s the easiest) has always been a firm ‘no’, as none of them now feature in my life.

Grew up with half sister, she’s just my big sister. I honestly don’t give it a thought!

I have siblings. My brother and sister. They share a mother with me. Their relationship with me is the same as their relationship with each other. It was a particularly hated experience for me whenever a teacher would say "you just be xs HALF sister" . No sir. I'm xs sister.

This thread reminds me of the scene in Rocketman where Elton John goes to see his dad’s new family and it breaks his heart to see his dad being so lovely to his younger half brothers (having been awful to him).

Some pretty sad stories on this thread, I really wish some of the (few and far between thankfully) posters on another section of MN, who think there's minimal impact on SC, read this.

I didn't have any half siblings but my eldest DS does

He has one through me, live together, fairly close, not best mates but I'm hoping once they've both got through their horrible teens stage then they'll look out for each other.

DS also has two half siblings from his Dad - 5 and 7 years younger than him. He barely see's them (or his Dad), I don't think they message each other or anything. A shame really, but was up to his Dad to nurture that relationship and he's failed. He's now separated from their mum and it's very obvious he favours them - I don't blame him for being closer, he brought them up (unlike DS), but he could make it less obvious. DS is now 18 and it's up to him what he does, but he isn't daft