Over the weekend I had the pleasure of meeting some really great people. One of which was a very nice woman and her adorable daughter who was about 5. After spending more time with them, I noticed that the little girl would address her mom by her first name. Not one to question anyone else’s parenting choices, although I didn’t ask about it, I definitely thought it was odd. For some, a child calling a parent by their first name might not seem like a big deal, but most people I know would see it as a sign of disrespect or that the parent was being less of a parent and more of a friend.
This mom’s arrangement with her little one got me thinking about how the child would interact with other adults. During our time together she never addressed myself or any other adult by their first name. I wondered things like, how she addresses her teachers and what, if any, effect does this have on her interactions with other adults.
Honestly, I would feel cheated if my kids didn’t call me mom, mommy, mama or some variation of it. Shoot, I’m grown and I still call my mother, “Mommy”. My kids could meet 10 women who share my first name, but they only have one mother. It would feel like a major demotion if they suddenly decided that I was on the same level as every other ‘T.’ out there. I also expect for other children to address me as Miss T., and when my children address other adults, they know they are expected to say Miss/Mr. *blank*.
Do you think having your child call you by your first name diminishes your role or undermines your authority as a parent? Are ‘mom’ or ‘dad’ titles more about respect, tradition or preference?
BMWK: Do you allow your kids to call you by your name? Let us know why or why not in the comments!