Last Updated on September 22, 2014 by HodgePodgeDays
We were at the playground last week and the small boy shouted “look at me Mama!” so I did, another playground Mum commented that he called me Mama, which I guess must be fairly unusual. He calls me lots of things, depending on who we’re with and where we are. Variously I am Mum, Mummy, Mama or Jane.
At home when it’s just our little family I’m usually Mama. I like being called Mama, he’s not quite four yet so it still makes me feel like the mother of a little one.
When we’re out, perhaps I’m picking him up from school I’m Mummy. He runs out of the classroom to hug my knee shouting “Mummy!”, invariably he also has a face full of smiles. Other people refer to me in front of him as Mummy, so that’s what he calls me when we’re out of the house, sometimes a “Mama” slips out though.
Sometimes I’m Mum. I don’t really like being called Mum. Technically that’s what I am, but it’s still too grown up for me, I’m not ready to be called Mum yet. He needs to be older before he calls me that I think.
And Jane, my own given name. He’s a cheeky monkey and sometimes when he’s shouting me he’ll shout “Jane”, partly this makes me chuckle, because it’s funny to hear my name come out of his little mouth, the other part of me corrects him. I think it’s good that he knows my name though, if he ever gets lost then as least he can tell people his Mama is called Jane I guess.
Then there’s that phrase I hate, “Yummy Mummy”, to me this conjures up such negative images. I think Yummy Mummy is just a horrible, bland thing to call someone, I certainly don’t want to ever be an identikit, cupcake making, perfect fembot; stalking playground in perfectly ironed capri-pants, an overly white smile and a fringe which is flicked just so.
My Mum asked me a few months ago if I was a “Yummy Mummy”, I snorted and said “God I hope not”, and I think I offended her. I’d rather have a personality, an attitude and some individuality than a twee label. I think that’s the best example this particular Mama can set our small boy. It’s ok to be different. In fact in this house it’s positively encouraged!
We have exactly this too. He only calls me Mama when LM does but since starting reception I hear Mum far more often than I care to. He brought home his first pack of words last week and one of them was ‘Mum’, it made me irrationallly irritable!
Reception is far to early to be called Mum. I don’t want to be Mum until he’s at least 8, or perhaps just starting university. It’s too soon 🙂
I’m glad I’m not the only one who hates the ‘yummy mummy’ label! Not that anybody would use it for me anyway, as I’m such a disorganised scruff! Iris obviously doesn’t call me anything yet, but I can’t imagine being called Mum. That’s what grown ups call their mum!
My youngest still calls me Mammy when she isn’t thinking but usually both my girls call me Mam….I find it strange if my girls call me Mum or mummy. lol
Yep Mum does sound really old. Why is that?!!
my girls call me momma, mommy or mom i think its sweet i don’t know where they got it from i call my own mam 🙂 xx
#mummymonday
Im mum I hate it lol hes only 18months it sounds to grown up , dad gets Dada which is cute though
I’m mostly called Mama which comes from being half German but I quite like it. I usually get called Mummy when I’ve done something wrong!
We’re mummy and daddy to the wee one, mum and dad to the bigs. I so wanted to be mama but no one took me up on it. I remember hating becoming “mum” because it meant my baby was too grown up, so I’m glad to be mummy again.
Yummy mummy makes me stabby.
I’m Mama to my 2 year old, I’ll be sad when he switches to Mummy. I agree Mum is too grown up. My eldest is 6, I’m hoping I have a while yet before I’m called Mum.
Carson has outgrown all of the lovely mama, mumma, mummy stage. It’d just plain old mum now. He’s only just turned 6. I miss it soooo much!! #mummymonday
I hated it when Ben started to call me Mum, he rarely calls me Mummy now. Chlo started with “Mum” even younger as she was just copying.
I hate Yummy Mummy too x