When did you make the transition from "Mommy/Daddy" to "Mom/Dad"?

[laurajetter]

Okay, I have something embarrassing to confess...I never made the transition from calling my parents "Mommy" and "Daddy" to calling them "Mom" and "Dad". Beginning around middle school, I began avoiding calling them by name and just either waited until they were looking at me to talk to them, or if I HAD to say it, I would mumble and just slur over it. That is how it is to this day! I had always called them mommy and daddy ever since I could remember and there never seemed to be an easy way to just transition into calling them mom and dad; it just felt like it wasn't their name. I couldn't figure out how every single other person at school did it so naturally. Why was I the ONLY one who had this problem?

There have been several instances where I have overheard a child trying to get their mom's attention by saying, "Mommy, Mom, Mommy..." Okay, so if a child grew up not just using the term "Mommy" but "Mom" as well, then I can understand how they made the transition without difficulty. But I'm sure there are many people who only called their parents "Mommy" and "Daddy". When and how did they do it?

As a sidenote, when I met my future-husband in college I found out he actually had the same problem, and so did his brother! So I wonder if there are others!

For those of you who always called your parents "Mommy" and "Daddy", when and how did you transition to calling them "Mom" and "Dad"?

 

[grinningghost]

I really don't remember when it was, but I'm thinking it was around 4th grade.

My own DD switched to "mom" about the same time. She still calls DH "daddy" and she's 15.

 

[Maleficent13]

I called mine "mommy" and "daddy" exclusively until about 3rd or 4th grade I think. Then I stopped and it was "mom" and "dad". I never found it odd, and neither did they.

Of course, Dad was still "Daddy" when I wanted something...and sometimes still is...

 

[krissy3483]

Mommy became Mom sometime around 4th or 5th grade, although I do call her Mommy about half the time now. And my father has always been Daddy

 

[always quiet]

I honestly don't remember.........never thought much about it...........BUT.....I have to share this story. I have 3 kids, DS 14, DD, 13, and DD, 10. My oldest daughter, who is in 8th grade in middle school, was talking IN CLASS to her math teacher. I think he was offering extra credit after school and asked if she was staying. Her response was "I'll have to check with my Mommy". Her teacher smiled and said "Your Mommy?". And she said "Yes, she IS my mommy". Kind of nice to know that even though Jeana is 13 and sometimes I think she'd like to trade me in for a new, hipper model, I'm still her mommy!!

 

[mickeyfan1]

My mother was mumma until we all had kids, then she was grinna, now she is Mother to me. My father was daddy until grandkids came along, then he became Papa. I was never mommy and DH was never Daddy. I was and still am Mom and he was and still is Dad, unless there is some teasing going on, then he is Pops.

 

[disneyjunkie]

I'm 36 and I still call my parents mommy and daddy. Most of my friends here do the same thing.


My family and friends in NC and SC all say momma. When we lived in NC, I'd always correct my son if he called me momma. I only used momma when I was talking to my great grandmother, so I've always associated the word with senior citizens.

 

[Disney_1derland]

Well this made me laugh because all weekend my 2 year old has been calling me just "Mom". Dh and I just had a discussion last night about where the heck that came from. Usually I'm momma to her, she hasn't even started calling me mommy yet.

dd#1 (now 4) started at Mama, then Mommy. When she is trying to get a point across she already uses Mom.

I think I was only about 5 when I went to using Mom, my mother is not really the 'mommy' type. Dad was daddy until I was about 13.

Oddly enough I can't think of a single person I know who still calls their parents mommy/daddy exclusively. I'm sure I know some but of the people who's parents I've been around they all made the transition.

Interesting question!

 

[Otto's Doll]

DH's whole family (he has 3 sisters and a brother, and he is the baby at 40) still calls their parents mommy and daddy, both when talking to them, or when refering to them when talking to each other. If they are talking about them to anyone else, then it is mom and dad.

 

[Pin Wizard]

I was thinking about this the other day in reference to my son doing it. He must have been in 3rd or 4th grade when he made the switch.

My oldest sister always called my dad "daddy." I find it comical that he was "daddy" and mom was "mother." LOLOLOL! Sometimes she did say "mom," but it was ALWAYS "daddy."

 

[Hillbeans]

LOL - my son is 3 and he just started calling us Mom and Dad

Of course when he wants something or gets a boo-boo, it's back to mommy and daddy. I think he just says it because he knows it bugs me.

 

[flyingenie]

still call them mommy/daddy to their face and I'm in my 20s. but when I'm talking to others, I refer to them as "my mom" or "my father", etc...

 

[POOH&PIGLET]

Funny topic.
My siblings and I are all in our 30's and we still say "mommy" and "daddy." It makes me cringe sometimes. Thankfully my kids call my DW & I mom & dad.

 

[GlennandAnn]

My 38 year old SIL and her 40 year old sister still call their parents Mommy and Daddy!


Ann

 

[smilingmouse]

I have always called my dad Papa (the French term for Dad), and my mom is usually Mom. I also call her Mommums...it's a family joke. I used to call her Mommums when I was really little amd couldn't say Mommy correctly. It seems that Mommums has just stuck

 

[tc]

I think I've always called her mom. I don't have a relationship with my father, so I refer to him as Carl. My older sisters still call him Daddy. My girls call me Mum. We actually had a discussion when they were late elementary/middle schoolers. I never liked Mom. It reminded me of a bleating sheep or something, but knew that Mommy was getting weird for them. Then we watched a British comedy and heard them call their mom, Mum. We decided that was a good alternative. They still call their dad, Daddy (they are 22 and 24).

 

[battricia]

I'll be 25 (on friday!) and I still call my dad daddy sometimes, especially if I want something. I don't really ever call my mom mommy though.

tricia.

 

[skuttle]

I'm 26 years old. My mom is still called "Momma" and my dad is still called "Daddy".

 

[hipporina]

I usually call them either Mom or Momma and Dad or Daddy. Usually the later for both. Mother and father just sound way too formal for me.

 

[laurajetter]

Wow, your responses are all very interesting, thanks for sharing!

I'm curious though, as to what possessed you to make the switch? I mean, if you were already calling your parents one thing, what would make you think to change it? Was it because you heard others kids calling their parents Mom and Dad, or you just decided on you own? Didn't it feel weird to switch?

Sorry for so many questions, this is just an interesting phenomenon to me!