This weekend FDH and I began discussing how kids always feel guilty about showing other adults love, specifically when it's the step parent. Even in situations where there isn't blatant parental alienation going on it seems to happen. In our own lives we could specifically think of many examples:

1. SD5, whom my fiance has raised since an infant and still calls "Daddy" won't even run up to him and hug him if her bio-dad is in sight.
2. Neither SS3 or SD5 give me the time of day when BM is around.
3. I feel awkward when I am in a conversation with my mom and somehow my dad and his wife (my stepmom) get brought up in passing...there's a weird part of me that feels like I should avoid even mentioning stepmom...of course my adult side realizes it's not necessary, but why even the awkward double-thought about it?
4. FDH remembers a time when he was about 10-11 and he was in the car with his mom, and his stepmom pulled up next to them. She was waving at them, and he pretended he didn't see her. He says he still feels bad about that to this day.

I think it's really interesting because in all of these situations, there wasn't blatant parental alienation occurring. (Except we're unsure about #1 on my list) So why are we so protective of our parents? They're adults, right? Is it just the constant longing for approval, love, and adoration from our own parent that makes us so willing (unconsciously, mostly) to go to lengths to make it look like we don't care for our stepparent, whom we clearly do care greatly about?

So I'm curious about how your skids act around you when a bio parent is near, as compared to when they are just with you, ESPECIALLY if you're fairly certain there really isn't much PA going on in the situation (as we all know when you add that in it's pretty obvious why).