Baggage:
things that encumber one's freedom, progress, development, or adaptability; impediments.

I think depending on how the bio parents sets up his\her relationship of their bio children with the new person can definately result in baggage as per the above definition.

Many MAKE their children into baggage in a relationship by not allowing a proper relationship to form when it should have because they are trying to protect either the kids, the BM\BF.

I don't think they start out as baggage - but when as in my case I am expected to be MOTY to kids who I have no say, no authority but full responsibility, where their BM calls the shots always and my DH looks the other way - yeah - its baggage.

Baggage to me is anything that makes life more difficult. Well for DH, my baggage was huge and he had no problem letting me know that. Widowed at 34, buried a child before the husband. One son that was being raised by a single parent and had lots of extended family trying to spoil. My industry is tough and the pay is not consistent. But, I did own my own house and had some financial security. So to me, not that much baggage for a man to take on.

His baggage, that to him didn't seem like much, was an ex-wife from hell and two kids who have two guilty parents that have no idea how to parent and can not work together. He has a good job and a nice home so to him the ex and the kids were not baggage. But, mine was huge and I should be grateful.

Trust me after 7 years together and all the drama of BM and SD and court and meddling in-laws (his family), my baggage is relatively easy. He has no problem admitting now that his baggage was a bigger pain than mine was.

Yes kids can be baggage. Mine is and so are his. Just the facts of life. It is all in how you deal with these issues. It is not a negative, unless you make it one.

When someone uses the term "baggage" when speaking of a person I get a very clear visual of a person at someone else's doorstep, with a TON of luggage sitting on the ground next to them. Just mountains of it. You take them in and help them with their luggage because you love them, and you want them there. You help them unpack it, you put it away neatly in the closet and drawers. You make room because this is the person you love. Everything seems to git at first. Then the items start coming OUT of the closet and drawes, because you need them. You need to wear it, or use it. Or you LOVE it, it's your favorite pair of jeans. Then, it has to be washed... so now it is in the hamper, and SOMEONE has to wash it...

All of this is creating MORE work, MORE stress, more of a MESS than you had originally anticipated. Does that mean you get rid of it? No... you get frustrated, you vent... you tell your best friend how much stuff this person brought with them. And then... you adjust.

Replace those suitcases with kids... same things happen. THAT is why they are referred to as "baggage". It is a figure of speech. It doesn't mean that people regard them as actual SUITCASES. Of course they are people. But they brought more work, more stress, more of a mess to your life than you expected. So you get frustrated, you vent and you tell your best friend how frustrated you are... then you ADJUST.

That's how I see it.

2 things...I have a feeling you have kids, thus you don't understand.
2nd, I never considered SKID baggage until all the crap hit hell...I do not blame the skid for being born, I do blame her for the pathetic choices she has made in her life and how THAT has impacted us.

I know PLENTY of people whose parents were crap, they lived in the projects, and everything else...some of those people have NEVER done any of the crap that "princess" (aka baggage) has done...thus, she is now baggage.

>>>How can anyone every give their step children a fair chance if they are considered baggage.<<<

A fair chance at what?

I agree with newwife3...total baggage.

And for the record... I LOVE all 3 of my Coach bags

Seems like a silly argument over semantics to me.

Baggage simply means one is not free of something that happened in ones past.

in my step situation, calling sd baggage would be a very thoughtful and sweet thing for me to say considering what i really think of her as.

I agree I've never thought of my Bf's children as baggage, its the bitch of a Bm thats the baggage, what he saw in her I'll never know, she became pregnant 4 months into the relationship, he stayed for his daughter, then one day after moving into the house that she wanted and Bf bought for them, she left with Sd6 one day and informed him by text. Sometimes I do wish it was just the two of us, I think thats normal though. Good or bad these children do not choose to be in this situation, they need proper parenting, not to be used as tools to hurt someone, I thank my lucky stars my parents did'nt separate when I was a child.

of COURSE stepkids are baggage....hell, BIOKIDS are baggage too sometimes, especially in my situation where babydaddy is in prison for nearly murdering me....so there's no child support, no every other weekend visitation, nada, zero, zilch. it's just me and my 2 boys. i'm sure fiancee considers my kids baggage too. i would if i were him, LOL. his kid takes the cake though in terms of baggage and those of you know know me and my autistic stepkid are gonna bash me for saying it, but FUCK IT, the kid is often worse than an itchy hemmorhoid!