There are almost as many words for parents and grandparents as there are parenting methods. What words we and our kids decide to use, whether mom, mommy, or Ima, can say a lot about where we come from and who we are, despite the fact that they are merely words. If anything, writers understand that words have meaning–and how we use them is also meaningful. But sometimes, of course, your kid just picks a name and it sticks!
This is why we recently asked our Facebook community this question: What do your kids call you and your partner (mom, mommy, etc) and what do you call your own parents?
This is what our readers told us:
“I’m Mama, husband is Daddy. My folks [are] Bubbe and Zayde. Other set, he calls grandma and Grandpa. And his aunt is Tante. I call my folks all different things. Ma. Mom. Mother. Daddy. Pop.”
-MKK
“Mama and Dad for us, and Lolo and Lola for their grandparents (on my Filipino-American husband’s side.) If my parents were alive, they would be Nonee and Pop-pop, like they were to my sister’s kids who had the blessing of knowing them before they passed. I called them Mom and Dad.”
-NA
“My kids call me “Imma” and their father Daddy.” I called my parents Imma and Abba.”
-AG
“We were Mommy and Imma, but most of the time we are both mom these days–he is 13 now.”
-MK
“I’m still Mommy (kids are 3 and 6) and my husband is “Daddy.”
I call my own mom “Mama” and my Dad “Daddy”–even at 37″
-MH
“Momma and Poppi. My parents: deceased. Wish I could call them Ma and Daddy again. Miss them.”
-PY
“Mom or Mommy. Their dad is Dad or Daddy. My mom is Bubbie and my dad is Gramps. I’m Tanta to my niece.”
-AS
“I have always been Mum to my children and mama Laurie (by my children’s friends) and my husband is called Pa and papa Sid (by my children’s friends).”
-LW
“Mama or Mom. I called my parents Mommy and Daddy or mom/mum and dad. My kids called my dad Grampa and my mom Gran Jacqui or Granadilla.”
-LB
“My kids call me Dad or Daddy and they call my husband Dad2 or Daddy2. My grandkids call me Grampy and my husband Grampy2.”
-EE
“Mommy and Abba. I called my mother Mommy.”
-MR
“Imma & Abba.”
-BH
What do your kids call you, and what do you call your parents? Share with us in the comments below.
