Do you know your blended family from your half-sister? How about your half-brother from your simple stepfamily? The language used to describe stepfamilies and steprelatives often confuses people. I’ve even known stepparents make mistakes when talking about their own children!
The infographic below shows the phrases and terms that are most commonly used to refer to blended families and steprelatives. I hope you agree it’s a useful reference guide for highlighting how you should refer to these increasingly common family units and the people who live within them. You can download a pdf version by following this link and please do check out the other stepfamily and blended family content available on Dadbloguk.
6 thoughts on “Infographic: Steprelatives and stepfamilies explained”
Love this infographic John. Whenever I try and describe our family unit at home being a dad and step dad with my daughters and step daughters who live with us full time and then my eldest who still lives with her mum, it gets very confusing indeed. With the older girls we have been facing the questions of what is ? To me and explaining step siblings and half siblings with them.
I come from a large family, my dad had children before his marriage to my mum so me and my brother have half siblings also. They are a lot older than us so gets even more confusing whenever we introduce our nephew who is older than we are ????.
Thank you for the infographic John.
Ah the old nephew being older that the cousin thing. Yes, we have that in my extended family also! it does get complex Eddie and it’s a very personal thing to each individual and each family.
Really interesting info graphic John.
I’m not from a blended family, but I know people who and do call their step parents Mam (in Teesside) and Dad. I also have a good friend who calls her stepdad ‘Dad’. I’ve also been sternly corrected when I’ve asked “how’s your mum”..
So it’s very informative.
It’s an incredibly personal thing. I call my stepfather by his first name. Interestingly, I don’t know anyone who calls their step parents mum or dad but I am sure many do.
Fab post John. Thanks for sharing. It contains really useful information. It is always difficult to know how step/blended families like to refer to each other…. Asking is always a good policy.
Asking is the best policy Ian. Better to be informed and reduce the risk of causing offence.