Navigating family drama can always be a bit of a struggle what with sibling rivalry, relationship breakdowns and in-law bickering - but one mum seems to have an even bigger problem on her hands.
The woman has been left worried and pleading for help on how to go about telling her 30-year-old daughter that her brother is actually her dad.
Advert
The anonymous mum took to The Atlantic's Dear Therapist column to open up about the mind-boggling situation.
She started by telling qualified psychotherapist, Lori Gottlieb, a little context behind the ordeal
"When I married my husband, he had two adult children, and I had none," the woman began.
Advert
"We both wanted to have a child together, but my husband had a vasectomy after his second child was born—too long ago to get the procedure reversed."
The pair then looked for alternative ways to find a solution: "We didn't want to use a sperm bank, so we asked my husband's son to be the donor."
She said she felt 'that was the best decision' as the baby would have her husband's genes before adding: "We knew my stepson’s health, personality, and intelligence."
The stepson then agreed to help his father and stepmum, and the mum has kept hush about it ever since.
Advert
"Our daughter is 30 now. How do we tell her that her 'father' is her grandfather, her 'brother' is her father, her 'sister' is her aunt, and her 'nephew' is her half-brother?" she asked.
Goodness me - I got confused just reading that.
Unsurprisingly, the mum signed off the letter telling the therapist: "My husband and I are anxious, confused, and worried about telling her.
"This is also hard on my husband, because he wants our daughter to know that he will always and forever be her father."
Advert
The expert began her response by telling the mum she needed to 'keep in mind' the 'two truths' her daughter will be having to wrap her head around simultaneously.
She replied: "First, the person she calls her brother is her biological father, and second, the people she calls her parents have deceived her for 30 years."
Gottlieb then offered some advice on how to handle the situation now that the decision has been made to come clean.
Advert
Such advice included stating the facts 'as simply and clearly as possible' as well as apologising and taking 'full responsibility for not telling her the truth from the beginning'.
She went on: "The key is to talk as little as possible and not make this about your feelings.
"Instead, check in with her about how she’s feeling, and ask what you can do to support her. She might feel anger, grief, betrayal, relief, or a combination of these - so it will take her some time to process the news."
Undoubtedly.
Lastly, the therapist told the mum to be mindful of her daughter's 'brother' who we now know is actually her father.
"Show interest in and compassion for the feelings your stepson might not have felt free to express when his true relationship with his 'sister' was shrouded in secrecy," Gottlieb points out.
"Remember that even though he was an adult when you asked him to be your donor, he still may not have fully appreciated the implications of being the biological father of someone he would call his sister - someone he’d be forced to lie to."
She concluded: "The truth, no matter how messy, is what makes people feel safe and connected.
"You clearly love your daughter, and we owe honesty to the people we love."
Topics: Parenting, Sex and Relationships, Real Life
Rhiannon Ingle