kinship-termssingle-word-requests
If I marry a woman and she has a child, I am a step parent. But what if the sequence is reversed? For example, suppose I am married to a woman, get divorced and she subsequently has a child by someone else. Is there any word in the English language to describe what my relationship (if any) is to this child?
This is my situation; I'm close to this child and always at a loss to describe our situation as other than family friend. Can anyone offer another suggestion?
Once you are married to anyone, you immediately assume the titles which the different relatives have to address you with. Remember, you have to get married before you get these title(i.e. you're not a brother-in-law, unless you are married and then by law you are a brother, although not a blood-brother).
It is not necessary that your marriage pre-date the birth of any of your 'gained' relatives. For example, your step-son will call you step-father even if he was born before you married his mother.
I think you are looking for :
to be extremely happy:
Tina jumped for joy when she found out she'd be in the team.
"So how did Robert take the news?" "He didn't exactly jump for joy." (Cambridge Dict.)
The expression can refer both to physical and metaphorical Joyful jumps.
Best Answer
"My ex-wife's child" is the proper description for your blood-or-marriage relationship with this child.
If you are back with your ex, you can call the child your step-child. If you adopt them, they are now your son/daughter.
Unlike "Significant other" (SO), there is no terminology yet to name this particular relationship that you can use and expect to be understood exactly.
Having said that, whose business is it that you would need to explain yourself so precisely? If he loves you like a father, and you love him like a son, and the mother goes along with this, describe him as your step-son. If someone questions you, politely steer the conversation the way you want it to go. "As I was saying, it was a great game. Have you been to any games lately?"