Totally random here, but I'm curious to those of you with step-parents how do you address them?
My parents have been divorced since I was two. My mother has been married to my step-dad for 23 years this year, and my father has been married several times. My parents are great friends now, so nothing negative there.
When I was younger (5-10) I spent limited time with my mother and step-father (every other weekend) and I was young so I didn't really call my step-dad "dad" because he was kind of a stranger since I didn't see him much, I've always called him by his name. It's been brought up that I can call him dad and it wouldn't be disrespectful to my actual father but due to the next story, I never have and never will call him "dad". Not that I don't love him, he's been a great father figure, he gave me an awesome half brother, and he has provided the world for me and my sister and is the best husband to my mom.
My dad married the wickedest wicked witch ever when I was really young, dated for long time before they got married. She MADE me and my sister call her Mom, it was weird but in my little kid brain I couldn't not do it (there's a huge list of things that I could complain about, but let's just put it this way, I still have nightmares about her and her kids well almost 15 years later). That marriage only lasted about 10 years (age 5ish-16ish) and thank god she's out of our lives.
But ever since being forced to call someone "mom" it put a bad taste in my mouth and I have never referred to any of my dad's wives as "mom". I LOVE LOVE LOVE my current step-mother, I LOVE her family, but she's only been in my life for coming up on 3 years and it just feels natural to me to refer to her by her name.
Another story. My grandmother died in 2011, my grandfather remarried a year and a half, two years ago. My Aunt refers to her now step-mom as "Mom" and it kinda weirds me out when she says "going to see mom and dad". My dad refers to them as "Dad and Pat (her name)".
Maybe it's just my past and how I was forced and didn't really have a decision.
I want to hear about you and your step-parents! Are you a step-parent? Chime in!