Kids Names for You

When my oldest was three, for some reason, she quit calling me "M." and started calling me "Mama." I have never liked Mama, and for a few days, I asked her if she would change back...and then, I though, how is that making her feel, that I don't like what she is affectionately calling me? So, I just got used to it...and five years later, she still calls me Mama. My almost three year old calls me M., still...sometimes. And sometimes she calls me "Tupty." I have fallen in love with it, even though she is mispronouncing "Cubby" from Jake and the Neverland Pirates and is referring to me as the fat little pirate, but oh well...it's cute.

Oh, well...she calls my parents "Greee-pa" and "Greee-ma". At least it's not that bad!! ;)

My son has called me "K." since he was 6. He's on the autism spectrum. I thought it was a phase he would go through and grow out of. He's now 15...and still calling me "K.".

My girls call me "Ma-mah", pronounced in the French way. We are not French.

I sometimes wonder if anybody will EVER just call me "Mom".

It's her term of endearment for you and I would probably just try to fall in love with it. She's only 7 and certainly isn't trying to annoy you, I'm sure.

I think you should just learn to love it, which can be hard when it gets on your nerves so much! But take a step back and think about it...your daughter has a name for you that nobody else calls their mom. It's something she came up with for you and you alone. It's actually kind of sweet :) One day she'll be ignoring you and barricading herself in her room and you will long for the days when she would call you muh-muh.

My five year old has always called me Mimi. I love it.

My oldest is 10, and I'm really starting to realize that she's growing up SO fast. I'm not ready for her to grow up yet! I want her to stay little forever! :)

Anyway, both of my kids still call me M., and I am holding onto that with all my heart. I know the day is coming, much sooner than I'd like, when they will call me Mom, or god forbid, Motherrrrr (accompanied by an eye roll, I'm sure!).

I guess my advice is to learn to love "Muhmuh." Pretty soon they'll all be an age where they won't want to talk to us at all, and we will long for the days when they lovingly called us silly things. :)

I agree with LeeLee-- it's her term of endearment for you. If she's always called you this, pronounced this way, maybe you can consider that whenever she says it she is, without realizing it, calling you what she called you from babyhood. On some level it gives her comfort and normalcy -- that's who you are to her. Of course, you know your own kid best, so if you truly think she's doing it now on purpose to annoy you -- you'll have to handle that. But if you just dislike it, and she's always called you this and isn't doing it intentionally to annoy -- like LeeLee says, you could try to love it, if you can see that it makes her feel secure.

That doesn't answer your question, I know! Sorry! Maybe this is also a bit regional or cultural -- if your own mother was "mom" or "M." you might be preferring that your daughter use that because it was normal for you to say yourself. In our family, mothers were always "Mama" -- mine was my Mama, her mother was Mama to her, and when my grandmother talked about her parents, she had a Mama too. So I am Mama (not "muh-muh," though). I would not want to be a mom or M., myself, but it's regional and cultural and what a family prefers.

If you can't get past it, maybe you and she can come up with nicknames for each other based on something -- maybe she has a favorite kids' book where the mother character is called something you would prefer (all I can think of right now is "Marmee" from Little Women, which would drive me nuts, but there must be others....) She might see that more as a fun thing to do, and might take it better than you saying you dislike what she's always called you. Just a thought.

My daughter just said mama and I have to say I love it!

My daughter calls me Muh-Mah...like the girl in the movie Interview with a Vampire...I like it better than Mama, which she called me for a bit (she loves Barenstein Bears). I just don't say anything and I am sure it will change again soon.

I call my Mom 'Mother' and she hates it! Ha!

when my youngest son was about 2 or 3, when he was mad at me he would yell "Barney!!". I hated that. Especially since I'm not the skinniest girl on the block, and I used to have a purple sweat suit. I got rid of it shortly after that.

My oldest just calls me mom, she' 9. My son on the other hand doesn't talk but he can say ma so I'm either ma or bob. In all honesty I'll be happy with whatever he calls me so long as he calls me something because most of the time I'm not even a blip on his radar. I would love for my son to give me a special name and he kind of has so for that I am grateful. You should be grateful and feel honored your child has their own name for you.

My son (7) called me a douche once. The look on my face was enough to ensure it didn't happen again! He didn't know what it meant, other than "shower" in French, but I guess he had heard it used differently and wanted to try it out. When my kids aren't calling me douche it is just plain old mum.

As you can tell from my name... I don't like "M." it sounds babyish to me and coming from the south, I know adult women who still call their moms "M."--ugh! So, I've always referred to myself as mama or mom and my dd calls me mama. When she's whining or trying to bug me, she'll call out for "mommmeeee" and I just don't respond. :)
She's also come up with silly nicknames like "honey bunny mama," but those never last more than about a week.

If you think she's doing it to annoy you (and yes, I do believe that kids as young as my 4-year-old, or you 7-year-old can and will do things to annoy on purpose), then you can explain to her that you don't like that name. Then, you just don't respond to that name. If she's been calling you that since she was a baby and it's a "lovey" name, I'd say you might just have to suck it up. Like others have said, one day you'll just wish she'd talk to you at all! ;) Good luck mama!

The bigger deal you make of it, the more she is going to do it. I agree with Kate L...one day you will miss it. Maybe when she said it you can say "What do you need M. for?" or "Muh-muh isn't hear but mom is" and if you do it consistantly enough maybe she will start calling you M. instead.

My son went through a stage when he was was about 2-3 when he would call me "Miss Mamie". No idea where he got it but I adored it because it was just between us. It didn't last that long though.

My kids all call me Mom, M., or Mama. But, in the past few days my youngest, who is almost 2, started calling me Ma-moo. I think it is cute, but only because he is still young. If my 6 yr old was calling me that I'd probably be annoyed. But, who knows--maybe they'll all start saying it now.

My 11 yr old calls me that lol but it's usually a long drawn out muh muh. It helps me know she's not too grown for me to still be M. ( which she also calls me) . She calls me mother, M. , mama and muh muh. Muh-muh is sometimes annoying depending on her tone I think.
If it's that annoying just keep on her about it and ask her to call you something else . She'll eventually get it.

I used to be Mama, but now I'm Mom and M.. Most of the time they all call me M..

I detest being called Ma. I won't answer to it. Ma is my MIL.

My son does know my name and has since he could talk. He went through a stage where I wasnt mom I was Tina. That one irked me and it took months of explaining that I am mom, unless someone asks and you are lost. It didn't make me mad though, rubbed me wrong yes!

Being seven, is she doing it just to irritate you? Stop showing emotion and just telling her "I am mom" it may help it may not.

Momma, Mom or M. and I don't mind any of them. If you really don't like what she's using, then tell her that's not your name, and ignore it. Similar to when we would tell SD that we don't hear whining.

My daughter called me M. or mom up until we moved from Minnesota to Arkansas last fall. Now she calls me mama. I don't love mama but in the grand scheme of things that is not at the top of my annoyances. I'd prefer she brushed her teeth or hair without me having to ask a million times.

Has she always called you the same thing or is this something new?