AIBU to use the term “blended family”

[PotatoesAreLife]

I run a charity and a funder has asked me to record family type when giving away support.

so I ask if they’re single, nuclear, blended, extended, grandparents of other family caring for children, or other.

I’ve had a complaint that the term “blended” is offensive.

is it?

what other term can I use?

aibu to ignore the complaint and keep using blended?

I thought it is a standard description these days

Did the individual say what they found offensive about the term?

It's a completely normal family description. Did you clarify with the person complaining in regards to what they found offensive about the term.

Literal beggars can’t be choosers…

YANBU OP.

I thought that it’s a normal term to describe a family where there are children from previous relationships.

P.S. you can’t be too careful nowadays so I’m putting my tin hat on in case people are offended by me using term “ relationships”.

Not unreasonable just ignore

Is it that they think it's intrusive to be asked? Is it relevant to the funding? There has to be a good reason to hold such personal information.

It’s not offensive at all, you were probably just cornered by someone who is over sensitive about their situation.

Why does the funder want, or need to know this information?

on the face of it, the term is fine - but I do wonder about the purpose of asking… are they planning on selling the data for example?

My guess is that they've misunderstood what 'blended' means and mistakenly thought you were asking if they're mixed race.

Either that, or they're questioning not the term 'blended' specifically, but they're just offended at generally being asked what kind of family they are? Maybe they feel there's some kind of judgement being made about them, and that whether they're a blended family or not shouldn't matter. I think sometimes people misunderstand the purpose of collecting that kind of info.

Did they misunderstand ’blended’ as meaning something other than step-parents/siblings etc? There’s nothing offensive about a blended family!

I hate that term, no idea why but it just makes my teeth itch

Complaint from who?

lots of things make me eye-roll but it’s not that big a deal surely?

They probably think “it doesn’t matter if our kids don’t share the same parents, we’re a nuclear family in our eyes and operate like a nuclear family.” Some people are really touchy about it.

This.

It’s true that if a person met someone else after having a child, they’re now a blended family which not only potentially includes half siblings but step siblings too. And maybe some full siblings as well. So no point being offended about being called a blended family when they blatantly are one.

I also think someone thinks you mean nationality or race. Unless they are a blended family and somehow sensitive about it, but it can be relevant for all sorts of reasons if not all the adults in the house have PR for all the children.

I’m also guessing they misunderstood what it meant.

I'd also wonder if they think blended means mixed race.

@Tillow4ever a lot of times knowing the demographic of an area is very beneficial to understanding the area

Oh maybe - if they feel it’s a racial thing then I can understand the upset a little more! Although in the context of the other options I find it hard to believe it isn’t clear what’s meant.

my thought on wondering who wants to know and why is because data is worth a lot of money these days, so I’d want to make sure it’s wanted for something like you suggest than to sell to advertisers etc.