TikToker Lily Claire (@lilyclaireclaire) has seven parents, and she’s explaining how that’s possible. And, no, it’s not a cult situation. It’s just what happens when emotional maturity and healthy coparenting collide.
Like most people, she started off with just two—her mom and dad. They got married, had her, and then got divorced when she was about two years old.
They both remarried pretty quickly, and she was encouraged to fully embrace her stepparents.
“My parents’ philosophy with stepparents was for me to kind of treat them as if they were my biological parents,” said Lily. “I also got really lucky and got really good stepparents.”
“So, all of them came to my games, recitals, everything. Since I was so young, I formed a really close bond with everyone and kind of looked at everyone equally.”
When she was 13, her dad and stepmom decided to get divorced. It was a no-brainer for Lily to keep her stepmom in her life, so she began going back and forth between three houses. She also has two siblings from her dad and stepmom.
Shortly after they split up, her stepmom met a man named Dan, and they ended up getting married. They are both good to all the kids, and Lily still gets invited on their family trips.
In early high school, her mom and stepdad decided to get divorced. For a while, Lily tried splitting her time between four houses. Right around that time, her dad met his now-wife, and they had a daughter together, expanding the family tree even further.
The last addition to the family was when her stepdad met his now-partner, who works in the fashion industry, which means that Lily gets the best hand-me-down clothes from her. They have a daughter together as well.
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And, finally, Lily’s mom has remained single, rounding out the group to a grand total of seven parental figures. Lily spends holidays and birthdays with everyone at each house.
For instance, she celebrated Thanksgiving with her stepmom’s husband’s family, and her stepdad’s wife took her shopping for a dress before.
“As fortunate as I am to have so many lovely people around me, I also don’t want to pretend like this has just been a walk in the park,” said Lily.
“Each divorce was so difficult, so heartbreaking in different ways. Because in that moment, you don’t know that you’re going to keep a relationship with this person. Now, looking back, I feel so good that I’m able to keep everyone in my life.”
It hasn’t been without drama, chaos, and tension, and it has taken a lot of effort and forgiveness to maintain healthy relationships with everyone, but she wouldn’t trade her unconventional family for the world. Her life is overflowing with love!
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
