What Should a Child Call a Stepparent?
Separated parents face a number of challenges when they decide to start another relationship. One of those challenges is deciding what the child should call the stepparent. The name that a child calls his or her stepparent can set the stage for either a loving relationship or endless battle. The relationship between the natural parents is one of the factors that should determine what the child calls the stepparent. The age of the child is another thing that has to be taken into consideration.
Preschool-aged children may naturally refer to their stepparents as mom or dad. For young children, a mom or dad is someone who loves them and takes care of them. Some school-aged children may not want to call their stepparents mom or dad out of respect for their natural parent. Hence, some children may call the stepparent by his or her first name in private, but they may call the stepparent mom or day while out in public. Teenagers may simply call the stepparent by his or her first name and probably will not feel bad about it.
Parents may feel uneasy about their children calling another person mom or dad. If the natural parents are having problems, then those problems may be intensified if the child calls the step parent mom or dad. The child may feel caught in the middle if the natural parents and step parent are constantly arguing.
What Parents Can Do
There are a number of ways that parents can come up with the right name for a step parent. In some cases, parents choose to let the step parent decide what is the appropriate name for the child to call him or her. Other parents will choose to meet with the step parent so that they can mutually decide the best name for the child to call a step parent. Additionally, some parents are willing to compromise and allow their child to call the step parent a similar, but different name, such as mom/mommy or dad/daddy. Cultural differences may also play a role in determining the appropriate name to call a step parent.
Children want to have a loving relationship with their step and natural parents. They also want to avoid conflict as much as they can. Therefore, it is best for parents and stepparents to concentrate on loving the child and doing what is best for him or her. The name that a child calls his or her stepparent should not be the primary concern.
How We Can Help
Going through a divorce can present a number of new challenges for you. Our Toronto divorce lawyers will help you face those challenges. If you have any questions or concerns for our family lawyers, please don’t hesitate to contact us.