Half Relatives

[Matheous]

My wife and I disagree about 'half -sisters/brothers' she says "If they share the same mother with different fathers- they are full- sisters." Is this correct?

[hippyhoppy]

No.

[DottyH]

not really, however, in 'the old days' before BBC2, it was safe to say who your mother was but not who your father was, many families were under the impression that Mum and dad meant biological parents, alas alak, catherine cookson put the kybosh on that theory

[Psychick]

It doesnt matter if you share the same mother or father, if you share just one parent, they are your half brother/sister.

[Matheous]

Thanx all 4 the rapid response !!!
(interesting handle Psychick ! )

[Pippa68]

I agree ~ it seems right to me that if you only share half the genes with your siblings, you are half siblings.

[gina32]

look at it logically, how can they be full sisters/brothers

[Pippa68]

I have known other people with the same opinion, gina ~ they think that because the baby came out of the same mum it somehow gives them 'full' sibling status.

One friend in particular has this view ~ probably because her 4 children all have different dads..I don't know. Mr Pippas ex sees her latest child as a full sibling to her elder daughter. Yet our children together are 'only half'.

[confused79]

Logic tells you its only half, i have a half brother and a full brother my elder brother has same mum and dad, my younger brother has same mum but different dad.

What i will say however is they to me are just the same they are both my brothers i dont for instance introduce him as this is my half brother i just say this is my brother, we both know we have different Dads and thats that who cares really i love him as much as my elder brother.

[Pippa68]

I agree, confused. It's technical speak!

My sister & brother share the same mum as me, but different dad. To me they are my brother and sister and the issue of 'half' only crops up if I get into a conversation with someone about families etc.

It's the same with my 'dad'. In reality he is my stepfather, but to me he is my dad and to him I am his daughter. Again, the issue is only raised if people ask.

[natalie_1982]

I think if you share one parent then you are half a sibling! Why would this prevent a man from fathering several children with several different women yet claiming they are all full brothers and sisters?

Technically I have only one brother; he is 21 and born of the same parents as me, but my dad remarried and his wife had two children already so although they are then only step-brother (20) and step-sister (18) to me I still refer to them as my brother and sister.

[Psychick]

confused I am the same. I have actually got 3 half brothers and 3 half sisters but I have never thought of them as such. To me they have always been just my brothers and sisters.

[andy-hughes]

I'm with the last to responses in this -

my wife and I have three daughters, two from her first marriage, and one from ours.

As far as I am concerned, I have three daughters, and they each have two sisters.

It's how you feel about them, and how they feel about each other that matters - itls never been an issue for anyone in the family - no differentiation at all from amyone to anyone - and it's our view that matters.

I(f other people want to be 'half' this or 'full' that, fine - but I don't make those distinctions.

[Matheous]

The *** ratings say it all- thanks for your views on this delicate subject....

[Neilzulu1]

Who cares as long as they remember to but you presents for birthdays & xmas. Lol.

[sdmj]

I would call them a half sibling, I like the term
"he's my brother by another mother" rhymes beautifully.
I tend to ask.. "so they're your...." and let other person fill in the gap.
j

[oldgrape]

if a child is ill or you have a new born baby they will ask if the child has any siblings they don't take in to account a half brother or sister
When my son was a new born and very ill they would not class his (half) brother as a full brother
Confusing isn't it

[Pippa68]

I agree with you andy. As I said in my last reply, it is just a technicality and only ever rears it's head when in conversation about families...

I had to introduce my 2 dads to others at my first wedding reception. Most people didn't even know that my stepdad wasn't my biological dad, so it made for interesting conversation!

Mr Pippa and I have 5 children. I have 2 from a previous and he has 1 from his previous marriage. We have 2 together, and whenever he is asked how many kids he has he always answers ''5''. The other day he was asked and when someone replied that he had a lot of kids he said ''they aren't all mine!''

He soon wished the ground would swallow him up ;o)