Being half-sisters means they have different fathers. That's all it means. If you tell your daughters anything different - that it's in any way disparaging - it isn't other people who are damaging your daughters' relationship.

If this kid is upset when people say she's a half sister I can't imagine how she feels when she's taken to visit her real dad.

Come on, woman! Grow up! The girls are half sisters. Period. They can feel all the love in the world, regardless the term you use to define the relationship. It's YOU who has a problem with the word, and stereotypes, and prejudices. It's you, not your daughter, who can't take it. Even if one or both girls were adopted, and they didn't have any biological connection, they could feel the same deep love for each other. Love just happens, and it's not defined by a simple word. Anyway, the girls love each other, why do you worry so much about other people's opinions? Grow up!

So they have different different fathers? Having only one biological parent in common is the exact definition of "half" brother or sister. You can't just magically make change that because you want to.

By definition, she’s her half sister. I have a half sister and a half brother. So what? You can’t change the definition of the scenario just because you don’t like the way it sounds. Just teach her that it doesn’t mean anything and to love the same. Stop demanding society adjusts to fix something that doesn’t need fixing. Fix your understanding.

Biologically they are half sisters. People need to stop being so damn sensitive!! Get a grip

What a f*****g drama queen

Tell her she is a half sister and more than half a mother :-) Elder sisters are hands on moms anyway!

Wouldn't bother me, but I always present my children's older sister as my daughter (I helped raise her since she 10 months old and she's now 17) and their sister ... no half or step unless people ask about the parentage ... otherwise, need to know ... my family does the same ... sister, father, brother, daughter ...

My sibs are both adopted. My grandmother, members of my father's family and others were constantly yammering about how they weren't "real", saying ugly things to my mother like, "It's not like they're your REAL kids". ..///... My sibs had to grow up listening to that garbage. Having someone who's supposed to be your family constantly referring to you as "that little bastard" is a hideous experience that had its impact on me as well. ...///... My mother always said, "Those are MY KIDS. If you have a problem with that, you are not welcome in my home." ...///... I can definitely see where the LW is coming from. Her children are sisters. Period, end of discussion.

It's a term. It doesn't replace their love for each other.

After 4 years of daily reading of boredpanda stories, I finally registered just to comment that my mum married a guy who already had two grown kids. They are 10 and 15 years older than me. BUT I still call them brother and sister and it never crossed my mind that they should be anything less :) They live in a different country and we see each other once a year when they come to visit. But I love them with all of my heart and they will never be anything less than my siblings <3

I half-love you. This lady made a good point but she doesn´t have to take whatever ppl say that personal. They love each otherand that´s the important thing here.

How hard is it to explain that when people say "half" the means how much "blood" you share, it doesn't measure your love (I don't know how old she is and even if I did I don't know anything about children and I don't know how much she knows, put my point still stands).

I agree. People have no way of knowing that she would rather they call her children sisters - she shouldn’t freak out when this happens, just politely inform them of her views.

The half-sister description has nothing to do with what kind of personal relationship they have between each other. But sure. Take it personally.

Sorry honey..She's her half-sibling

How would people even know the situation unless you are telling them? If it is family saying it, tell them to F-off.

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When you're a kid, even the smallest thing can make you feel like an outsider, or like you don't belong, and kids will change their behaviour to 'fit in' with perceived expectations. It's called peer pressure, and if you think back to primary school, you'll probrably remember how strong an influence it can be. Kudos to the mum for nurturing her daughters' bond. I'd teach the older daughter to answer back, "Biologically, we only share half as much genetic material, but I love her with my whole heart, and that makes us whole sisters."

If they don’t have the same dad, science says they are not fullly related, only half

This is such a non-story. Tell your girl, it's just the scientific term. Sort out your parenting; you're raising a snowflake who cries over a word. Kids are not stupid so tell her the truth - it's just a word that describes the genetics between them. She doesn't deserve your anxieties being pushed on her.

My late grandma was stepmother to my older uncle whose birth mother passed away shortly after his birth. She and the rest of the extended family decided that she should raise him as her own for his benefits. And she did. She loved him and raised him just like she did with a boy and a girl she later gave birth to. Grandma told him before he got married, and uncle was very grateful for everything she did for him. During the last 3-4 years before grandma passed away, he visited her almost everyday. He didn't have to, because she was in a coma already. This was way before social media days. Lengthy post, not to justify what the OP said, but to encourage people to try to see things from different sides. Perhaps the OP genuinely believes that is the best for her daughters.

My personal opinion, this woman is a bit nuts. It's not mean, it's saying exactly what it is. I have 6 half brothers, I never got upset when someone asked or said so. She needs to grow some thicker skin. Disappointed in BP posting such a stupid womans thoughts.

I am the youngest of a blended family. My big sister is a daughter of a different dad. She is 11 years my senior. I am closer to her than Anyone else on earth. I Love her so very much and she has been there for me and other siblings all our lives. She has stood up for me in good times and bad. She has loved me thru the unlovable times and the best of times. She didn't choose her parents nor did I but we are stuck together with an inseparable bond. She is the only person who has loved me and I her unconditionally!

Women like this want to impose there warped sence of reality on there lives to deal with the guilt it causes them, and shift blame off herself about the break up with the daughters dad. Reality is too icky too deal with for them. She is obviously triggerged. Im guessing she is also the type to alienate the father from the daughter too. This is life deal with it you probley sabotaged the relationship because of your hypergammy and reciving childsupport too. Obviouly your guity for ripping that older daughter away from the father i can see you upgraded your husband who buys you everything. Your husband is a simp for accepting a single mother truth is i was there once too and i can tell you the simp husband wont love your daughter and by the end of it you will probley accuse him of raping the older daughter to if he had any brains he would run for the hills. But one day he will learn. this this is hypergammy to the max goodluck with dealing with guilt for the rest of your life

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Translation: Please stop telling my daughter the truth of her biology. I want her to grow up ridiculously sensitive and ignorant. Signed: An idiot mother.

Well in my family, my uncle, brother of my mom, was divorce and got married again then I was 26. So his family is his son, his wife daughter and son and they have a daughter. So I have four cousins. The four sibling are that, SIBLING.

When someone is introduced to me as a sister, it is not socially correct or clinically necessary for me to correct that person and say "no, you mean half sister." That is what is happening here in this post. The girls are being introduced to others as sisters, which is the absolute right of the family to say, and others are interjecting their own biases and prejudices into the conversation by insisting on saying "half sister". Having worked with thousands of students, coming from a wide variety of families, I have observed that the trend is that the more integrated and interactive a family is, the less likely they are to refer to the children as "half siblings". If a parent has a child that you rarely see, or if you feel like you are not part of the fully functioning family when you are together, you are more likely to refer to a sibling as a "half sibling".

My sister and I are technically 'half-sisters', but we grew up together, fought over toys, clothes, ect, the same way any other sibling would. From our standpoint, we are siblings- and referring us with that zoomed in scope is needlessly specific. I can understand using such terms with family members you aren't close to and want to immediately establish the connection. So it's not all black and white for the situation.

I have 2 daughters - a 17 year old and a 2 year old. Without fail, whenever people hear this, the first comment is always - "oh... you remarried?" or my eldest daughter gets "do you have the same mum? Or the same dad?" Ummm, both! It just took us 15 years to have the second lol

I went through the same thing when I re married and had another child. Finally as they got older it stopped.

Also, all these panda people saying this mom is too sensitive and that it's the technically correct term to use and labels don't matter, she shouldn't be offended...please then tell me why I have to refer to a trans person as a sex they biologically are not. No matter what they choose or how they change their body they will never be the opposite sex, this is a FACT. I find this hilariously ironic post for people who are touting the "truth" of the biology of the situation. Hypocrites.

Big family is wonderful - if it works. If not, it's a hughe burden. I do have 3 half sisters and brothers. For me it was difficult and it always will be. Friends are closer to me than my siblings. People act and find words on base of their own experience, i don't think they want to irritade your little girls. If your concept of living works: well done - take care about for the future!

From another parent in a blended family situation, THANK YOU. What a beautiful and peaceful representation of what blended families can be.

No comment, though I do sympathize, but wanted to say I loved that 'Biggie' and 'Smalls' set!

I personally think that it is just a "technical term", but my little brother hates it. Me and my brother are about 15 years apart and have never lived together, but we do have a really strong bond. Once I was picking him up from primary school (you call and wait outside - security) when my brother came striding. "The teacher said that you are my step sister!" he said straight away. (he knows the situation - he figured it out on his own, I was forbidden to tell him we are family, dad indroduced me as a "friend". He knew immediately (4yo) that we are siblings, at 5 he confronted dad about it, but that is another story.) So I just stared back. "I told her, Mrs teacher, Annie is my dear friend, My sister, no step, my own sister, I know you did not know, but do not say it again." He gleamed. "I will not let anyone say you are not my sister!" He hugged me, I cried. Few years ago I thought he would never even call me family...

SO. MUCH. THIS. My sister is my sister, period. When people sit there and pry and insist on saying "half sister" even though WE don't, it's incredibly offensive.

I've never liked the "half" term sibling because it seems like you're calling them less than a sibling. They're my brothers and sisters. There is no half as far as I'm concerned.

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I'm pretty upset, this is a child, an 8 year old child. She doesn't need to know all the technical terms to describe her relationship with her sister! She just needs the love both of them share. When people say "half-sister" it kinda makes it seem like the 8 year old shouldn't love her as much because they don't share the same father. In many families, half-siblings are despised by the older sibling who wants her parents back together, she could be throwing a tantrum but instead she has matured enough to realize that her half-sister is just as good as any whole-sister she could get! By saying "She is just your half-sister" takes one step backward from maturity to IMmaturity. Besides this little girl obviously dote care about all the snooty and rather dismissive remarks being made about her and her younger sister!

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I absolutely agree with her. I've been having this same issue for 18 years. When my husband and I got married, he had 2 daughters ages 1 and 3. I also had a daughter age 2. Step sisters yes. However, being so young, they accepted that they are ALL sisters. A few years later, my husband and I had 2 children together. Lots of "half sisters" and "half brothers" going on. Each child has a great relationship with with the other parent(s) and all know their genetics but when it comes to eachother, you will never ever hear any of them say, "Oh I have this many full siblings, this many step siblings and that many half siblings." . What you WILL hear is, "I have 4 sisters" and, "I have 3 sisters and a brother". No need to question or correct my children or ourselves as parents, they're educated and aware of their genetic connections. It means absolutely nothing to them. Half, step or full, they're siblings. Just siblings.That's it, end of story.