A ‘cruel’ stepmum has triggered an online firestorm after admitting she banned her 11-year-old stepdaughter from calling her ‘Mum’.
The anonymous woman – who has three children of her own – confessed on the parenting forum Mumsnet that it made her feel ‘uncomfortable’.
‘My hubby and I have been together 10 years, he has a 11 yo [daughter] and has full custody of her (last time she saw her mum she was about 1),’ the woman wrote.
‘I also have 3 sons with him. She is the only one who doesn’t call me ‘Mum’ in the house. She asked me a couple of weeks ago if she could call me Mum like her three brothers.’
The woman claimed her husband was ‘very very very’ excited about the milestone, but it did not elicit the same feelings for her.
‘But I am not comfortable with the idea, I have my own kids,’ she added.
‘I am scared to tell my husband because he seems to be so happy of her asking me. How can I tell him? Am I being cruel?’
Many fellow parents left scathing comments on the now-deleted post, branding the stepmum as ‘cruel’.
‘Why are you so against this? You HAVE been her mum, all her life! I’d feel absolutely honoured. I’m trying to not to be rude here but you’re coming across really badly!’ one person wrote.
‘This is brutal and if I was you I’d question myself on why I want to not be seen as this kid’s mum, especially when you’ve effectively raised her,’ another said.