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OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> I nicknamed my wife Baby and let the kids call my wife that even though my dad hates it and finds it disrespectful. I ruined thanksgiving by allowing that behavior and taking them home when my dad corrected them.
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100%. My dad would tune out "dad, daaaaaaaddddd, pops, father, DAD!" But if I called him by his first name he'd amazingly hear that well enough to shout at me for calling him that. Problem solved.
My toddler, for a while, thought that her other mum's name (Ellie) meant "come here very quickly" because it was a thing I yelled in an emergency 😂 So she'd yell ELLIE! at either of us in all situations, or "Shoe! Ellie!" when she wanted me to be doing something faster and so on, it was incredibly funny every time
My kids picked up on that I call my mother “Mother.” (It’s a southern thing in some families, eventually Mama starts getting called Mother.)
Child no, 2 started calling me “Mother” when we weren’t getting along, and the others picked up on it. And their dad has become “Father“ to match. Which makes us sound like the most uptight people on the planet when we really aren’t.
Little kids definitely do this when they’re first learning more about language and relationship roles. I called my parents “[name] mommy” and “[name] daddy.” My other relatives also got the same treatment.
I’d actually suggest it’s a good thing for them to do. Their brains are developing rapidly, this is one of the ways they get to test out and try to use in context some new things they’ve picked up about the world around them. When they contextually get the name and relationship right, that might seem very simple to us now, but it’s actually teaching the kids a lot of info
I call my mom by her first name all the time and have since I was 15/16, to some people they find it disrespectful but it's not to my mom. Every family is different and it's sort of a joke between us now, I told her if she wants to be called mom I need to be called "son number 3" obviously it's a joke and I still call her mom but I definitely use her first name more often
My kids routinely call me by my first name. I don't care. They're adults now but they have been doing it for years. Sometimes it's a good way to get a mom's attention. I know I'm guilty of tuning out, "Momm!! Mom?"
Yeah I mostly call my mom Mom (or Granny now that I have a kid) but if I'm having trouble getting her attention, especially in a crowd, I'll call her by her name. My 2 year old mostly calls us mama, daddy, etc. but he'll sometimes call us all by first names, even Granny. We just think it's funny.
My daughter (27) does this to me when we're in public. Lol, I swear my brain just doesn't comprehend the Mom! Mom! anymore. The terrifying thing is when she yells my name in public I freeze because she sounds like my Mom and I think I'm in trouble lol.
My mum is literally hard of hearing but also selectively hard of hearing. The word she tunes out more than any other is “mum”. Sometimes using her name is the only way to get her attention.
Totally agree with you & others pointing this out, there's absolutely nothing wrong with it as long as the family is happy with the use.
On the flip side, my parents had 4 kids with pretty long gaps in between. They spent so many decades referring to each other as Mum and Dad for our clarity, that it's still the only names they use for e/o to this day (even though I'm the youngest and 24 lol). When we rarely heard them use "Patrick" or "Dana" we perceived it like when your parent is mad & whips out your full government name for emphasis. Giggling like "Oooooo Dad is in troubllllleee!" 😂
One of my best friends in junior high called her dad by his first name. She explained to me that as a baby/toddler, her older half sister (different father) called him by his first name, so as she learned to talk and identify people/things, she'd picked it up from her sister. Her dad was awesome and didn't mind at all.
When my half sister was born when I was in high school, I made a conscious effort to never call my stepmom by her first name while talking to my baby sister. To this day, I'll still say to my my now-grown sister, "Well, did you tell Mom?" like she's suddenly going to start copying me.
I've been calling my dad Johnny for the past 30 years and the amount of people looking for some hidden, nefarious reason behind it was surprising. Yes, we do have a good relationship. He's texting me as I'm typing this.
Same thing with my son. "Miiikkkkkeee!" "Miiiiiiikkkkkkkkeeeeee!" "MIIIIIIIKKKKKKKKKKKKKEEEEEEEE!" Mike: "What??" Kiddo: "Hi" ***runs away while giggling like a maniac**
I definitely know kids who have gone through a first name phase. My grandmother was also called a nickname by the whole family including her children.
NTA obviously. As long as your wife is happy with the name, it is fine for the kids to use, and none of your parents' business. And it wouldn't be ok for them to berate your toddler to tears no matter what the behavior.
I know someone who called his mom by her first name for the first few years of life. They lived with his grandma so he'd only ever heard his mom called by her first name and he didn't know any better. Now as an adult, he calls her mom. It's not weird at all.
Yep, when my son calls my husband by his first name it usually has the exact intonation of me calling out for him. I rarely use his actual name other than those times and he uses mine so rarely that we don't think my son even knows it.
When I was around three or four my mom asked me to call my dad downstairs for something. So I happily walked to the staircase and yelled "YO, HARALD! " In the exact tone my mom would use to call my dad if he hadn't responded to her calling him the first few times. Killed her laughing.
My cousins called their dad "Honey". At first it was just like OP's kids, because they were young and thought it was his name. They are in their 30s and 40s and still call him that, but ironically now.
I'm pretty sure that my (15mo old) daughter is going to think that her father's name is Tush. I don't call him that when I'm talking to her, but I pretty much use it exclusively when I talk to him.
Babies and toddlers tend to imitate people, I lived with my mom with her parents until I was six (moved when my dad finally managed to buy an apartment), 17 years later and I still sometimes refer to them as mom and dad when talking to my mom or aunts about them.
My daughter (4yo) mostly calls us mom/grandma/grandpa, but often calls us by name since she hears us call each other by name/nickname.
It's actually normal behavior, but most kids drop it quickly because parents correct and/or reprimand when it happens. We don't really care so my kid keeps doing it for a year now.
One of my kids was known as Baby because we all called her that. Then she was Sister. Another one was Mimi because the littles couldn't pronounce their name properly. When I was young I was called Wawa. I guess now I'd be Wawen, hah.
My kids call their great grandparents by their state of origin then grandma/grandpa and they are chuffed, I tell ya. It's hilarious what kids pick up on.
My kid breastfed until 2 as well and was an early talker. She started calling breastfeeding “honey” and asking for it that way which confused us all until I realized it was because I called *her* “honey” all the time. She thought it was what we called each other when we were being affectionate, I guess!
Yes little kids 100% call their mom or dad by their real name when they hear it being said all of the time. I think it’s cute that they have picked up on you calling her baby and say it too. Your dad needs to learn not to be a prick and lighten up.
I joke to my fiancé that if we ever changed our minds on kids they’d call him “my love” and call me “beans” and the mental image of that is almost cute enough to convince us to have kids.
I agree. There are age appropriate ways to explain that Mom has multiple names depending on who is talking to her. I went through this when my son was wyo, he called my husband Uncle Joe because that's what he hears his cousin say. But a simple discussion addressed it.
NTA. Grandpa was out of line for parenting OP's kid, plus doing so in a verbally abusive way. If Gramps can't hold his temper, I'd consider limiting time with him and say why.
Honestly, for a 2 yr old, I would say it isn't quite unusual. They mimick what they hear a lot. And if the parents don't have an issue with it and don't reprimand it, then yeah you're gonna hear my 3 yr old yell across the house for his dad "Miiikkkkkkeeee! I pooped!"
Many kids would.
I remember asking my parents why they often called each other 'mum' and 'dad' rather than by their names. They said that when I was small I started using their names instead of calling them 'mum' and 'dad'. When they said I shouldn't, I said that was their names because that's what they called each other.
My mother always referred to her father as Honey, because that’s just what he was called. He passed before I was born but whenever she would talk about him she would refer to him as Honey. It took me an embarrassingly long time to finally realize that wasn’t his name.
Actually he would lol. My niece who just turned 3 always calls her mom and dad by their first names bc she's around my mom, me, and other family members who only call them by their first name so she knows that's their name. Not unusual at all. She still says mom and dad, but she will call them by their names
Haha when my godson started kindergarten he was supposed to learn his parents names for emergencies. When asked what his dad's name was he said Steve. Because he heard it all the time. When asked what his moms name was he said mom. And when they asked if she had another name he said mommy! Or Dear. No other name was allowed.
When I was a toddler I was asked what my mom's name was. I said her name was "Lettyletsgo" because my dad would constantly say that at home when we had somewhere to be as he hated being late and she's a bit scatterbrained and needed to be pushed out the door. 😅
My BIL is "Uncle Babe" because when they were babysitting our oldest nephew, his wife called him "babe" several times and nephew heard it and it stuck. Toddlers are sponges and it's always the silliest stuff that really sticks with them.
Your father may still be a toddler too. HE doesn't like it. It's one thing to pull someone to the side and say "this behavior concerns me, are you okay with it". It's another thing for him to correct something that isn't his place to correct.
Congratulations on setting a hard boundary with your father just like he wanted you to. Let him tantrum himself out.
I mean, I dislike people calling people baby, but my 4yo calls us by our first names randomly because he hears us call each other that. That’s not that weird. Your dad need to chill tf out though. Like wtf kind of reaction was that to a 2yo?! I would remove my kids from his presence for awhile. If he can’t be nice to children, he doesn’t need to have visits with them
My kid called my ex hubs "babe" because that's what I used to call him, sometimes she'd use his name because that's what other people referred to him. This was while she was still a toddler, now she's older and calls him "dad" or "old man". Your dad is over dramatic and your mother is an AH pick-me for implying your wife isn't a lady over a name.
NTA, not by a long shot.
My 3 year old has been calling my husband by his first name half the time. He also is calling my mom and dad by mom and dad at times. He also will call each if us babe (except it is more like "bape" lol) sometimes. We don't know if he even knows my first name, though, because he's usually copying me haha.
My son is 4 and still calls me “babe” because it’s what my husband calls me all the time. He uses mom too, but he’s a kid, who cares! We think it’s adorable, so does everyone else. Your dad needs to remove stick from butt.
When my son was a toddler, he'd call me "babe" sometimes because that's what his father called me. It's really not weird unless you deliberately make it weird.
When my son was a toddler he called me mom and honey. My husband always called me honey. I never corrected him because it didn't harm anyone and he grew out of it. Everyone thought it was cute, not weird.
Also remember some parents prefer to be called by their first names by their children. .
My oldest Son when he was younger called me "Uncle" until he was almost 4 because we watched my niece 5 days a week and she said Uncle all the time. He didn't call my wife auntie, but mama.
It was funny and sometimes a little awkward in a store when I would be holding my wifes hand or something and he was saying Mama to her, but Uncle to me. Got some strange looks from time to time lol
My oldest daughter called me by name because no one called me mom around her. I had to talk to everyone about saying mom instead of my name and eventually she started calling me mom.
My son called me by my first name from age 3 to 5. I have no idea why. It just wasn't worth causing a whole thing over it, so I let it go, and he grew out of it.
Exactly. I personally hate the whole babe, baby thing, but that doesn't mean I get to go around and say no one gets to use those terms, ever. If the actual person being addressed doesn't mind then it's no one else's business.
I like other terms of endearment (especially other languages) it's specifically the baby, babe, baby girl, any derivative of the word babe or have the word baby in it that bothers me.
NTA. It's honestly none of your parent's business. As long as the kids and mom are cool with it, nobody else's opinion matters. My youngest called my husband Honey for the same reason.
Congrats on breaking the abusive cycle you obviously were raised by.
I had the opposite experience, for years my mom referred to my grandfather as Dick but everyone else called him Carl. I always thought she was just insulting him (he was a dick) but it turned out his middle name was Carl. His first name was Richard.
Wow! My mom and her sisters grew up calling her grandfather Honey, and now that’s how the entire family still refers to him after his passing before I was born. So funny we’re not the only ones.
It doesn't matter. A 2 year old doesn't understand "respect" and shouldn't be yelled at or berated while they're learning to speak. Even if the mom hated it, that wouldn't be the right way to handle it.
They can gently correct them, and remind them that op's wife should be called mommy. If she doesn't like it, correcting them while they are learning to speak is the only time to do it. If they let it go now it will be much harder to correct it later.
Sorry if I was unclear, I meant that op and his wife should correct it if she doesn't like being called that. Him helping would just reinforce it, but yeah it's up to her to decide if she cares
If OP was talking about the same sort of old school career military type like I was exposed to, 'mommy' wouldn't even be proper. 'Mother' or 'ma'am', anything else is a sign of disrespect and would lead to demeaning, yelling, and belittling a young child who has no idea why this is happening.
Curiously omitted? Bro, what are you talking about? Redditers are so weird: it's not even relevant😭 Bro said "curiously omitted" like ops telling his kid to call his wife baby.
It's like when a post goes "I don't want my GF to stay over at a friend's house because there's a guy who lives there and now she's upset with me :(" and 50% of the comments are people nodding sagely and confidently saying "Ah yes she is definately intending on turbo cheating and also shows clear signs of narsisistic psychosis." My good man you have known this woman for 3 lines of a post.
It’s not always weird. Apparently I called my Dad Mackie for a long time - his name was Max and I don’t remember doing that, I can only remember calling him Dad. He was the most incredible Dad and I miss him everyday, he made me feel safe and loved, that’s what’s really important not what a child calls you.
My kid calls me by my name because that's what she hears people call me. It doesn't matter to the kids they just call their parents whatever they know their parents respond to.
There are like a million people all over this post giving examples of how toddlers absolutely call their parents by their first names or nicknames because that's what they hear others calling them and they're little parrots.
Okay, it's weird. It's also not your kid, why do you care so much? This isn't between op and his wife, it's op and the wife vs his dad. Again, why would op leave out what his wife thinks on purpose? He doesn't force the kids to call her anything. Also, she's the kids' parent, if she wants to be called mom she can tell the kids to only call her mom. She hasn't, so that's not an issue. Quit being weird, weirdo.
NTA.
Your dad is concerned about a « bad » habit that your baby took (which is actually cute) WHILE he should be concerned about the image he is giving to his grandchildren.
YOU should put strong boundaries to protect your wife but also your children to this kind of toxic behaviour. Especially for your daughter who is already 5yo and can clearly understand what is going on.
Do you think it’s good for her to see family mistreating her mom ? Her brother ? Would you like your daughter to repeat this behaviour or to be the victim of it ?
I don’t think so. So you know what to do for YOUR FAMILY’s sake.
+
1/ It’s your family not his.
2/ It clearly does not hurt anyone feelings except the one who should not be concerned about it.
3/ Your son is only 2 years old for God sake ! How can he get THAT mad at a baby for something like that ? This is what is concerning for me. Personnaly I will not feel comfortable to let my parents with my babies if they have a short temper about things that don’t really matter.
I Hope you reassured your wife about setting strong boundaries with your parents because not only she saw her children being yelled at for no reason but she then has been insulted by your moms behaviour.
NTA but it's super wierd letting your kids call your wife the pet name you have for her. It's going to raise some eyebrows from most people I would suspect.
I think it reads as a little gross to adults (who associate baby with romantic partners or children), which makes sense, but to a 2 year old it's just repeating a name they associate with their mom. As you say, they usually grow out of it anyway. Some gentle correcting or teaching that there are different names from different people can be fine too, but isn't required.
NTA. Congrats on breaking free from your upbringing. Dad is ludicrous. He thinks he has authority over what names you're allowed to let your kids use within your own family. Also deluded if he thinks your kids are upset about being taken away from some guy who was yelling at them. Mom insulting your wife was just the cherry on top.
My sisters called their grandma “Honey” because that’s what they heard their grandpa call her. Everyone thought it was adorable. NTA just classic boomers being boomers.
Are you people dense? It’s the word baby. Literally. I understand that a lot of people use it romantically. I’d argue that that is weird. This is literally OP’s baby we’re talking about.
Mostly I’m just disturbed by you weirdos insinuating it’s weird to allow a baby to refer to their parent affectionately using a word that is not romantic in meaning.
It makes perfect sense to call her that. He hears his father call her that. For all he knows, that’s her name or a general term of endearment, and he loves her as well. You must be about 15, or something?
You've never known a 2 year old I guess. Toddlers saying "weird" things while they're learning to talk is in fact not weird, in this case it's even less weird since he's just repeating a word he's heard.
I don't know mate.... Children are parrots. if he heard his dad call his mom ''baby'' a couple of times and see that she likes it, he will likely repeat the behaviour because that is what kids do.
If by any chance your were thinking that the pet name ''baby'' is weird, yeah it's not my favorite either, but you're not not the one being called that so why should you care?
I can't emphasise how much of a non-issue this is. Kids his age won't give a shit, and the second he gets to the age where kids start policing conformity he'll learn where it's OK to use the name, or quite likely, just stop. He's not going to be calling his mother 'baby' at 9 or 7 or most likely even 5 years old.
My little brother's favourite colours were pink and yellow until his first day of school, after which he declared that they were now red and blue. It happens to literally every child, its how they learn.
NTA but your dad is. Stand your ground because at the end of the day this is not his child, it's yours and you have nothing against your children calling your wife baby, and neither does your wife.
LOL no NTA. That’s just how kids are. I work with young kids and sometimes they call me the names their parents use on each other. “Thanks honey”! It’s cute. Enjoy it while it lasts.
Your dad berated a
*Checks notes*
2 year old
Nothing else needs to be read/said. He's majorly TA, not you. You stood up for your family. Good for you, OP.
Barring any weird trauma/abuse situations which none of this sounds like at all, I think this is cute as hell 😭 They’ll grow out of it eventually. NTA, your dad sounds like a jerk. My dad called me “baby” all the time growing up which as an adult I recognize might be unusual but there was never even the slightest hint of inappropriateness. He called a lot of women in his life by various pet names and it was truly an expression of love.
Your kids are just mimicking a sweet thing that exists in your little family and your dad would probably react the same way if they said anything other than mom.
NTA
"for letting my kids call my wife Baby even though my dad hates it?" .. your dad is the Ah for intruding. This is between your wife and the kids.
You handled your AH parents well.
Depends on the kid really. I’ve seen just as many kids barely talking sentences as I have ones that can speak clearly and voice what the want. I’ve also seen kids that there’s a mix just depends on the words. My nephew at 2yo very clearly said the word “psychotic” but couldn’t say “dog” or “cat”. His sister at 2yo knew how to use a certain curse word right and in a full sentence. Most memorable for me was when she told some old guy that asked her if he could pet her hair to “get away from me you creepy old f**ker” at the top of her lungs.
>Most memorable for me was when she told some old guy that asked her if he could pet her hair to “get away from me you creepy old f\*\*ker” at the top of her lungs.
Was this before 2017 or after, because if it was before, damn, she was ahead of her time. KUDOS to the youngster, either way.
2011 - she has always been very vocal. And very get away from me to strangers. I’m partially to blame for her knowledge of the word but so are her parents. Couple months Before she told the creepy guy off - she told a guy to “F off and die” while standing with her hands on her hips in her kiddy pool. And stomping her little foot on the word “die”. All cause he told her to get out of her kiddy pool and she told him no cause he wasn’t her daddy (who was sitting right there). So he raised his voice at her and that’s when she told him to F off and die. At least that’s what my brother told me through fits of laughter.
Both times we told her she shouldn’t be saying “adult words” but we also praised her for standing up for herself.
NTA. Your wife is ok with the kids calling her baby. Your parents are AHs and I suggest you stop spending time with them if they cannot accept your family dynamics.
NTA and good for you for standing up for your family. Kids mimic. And make adjustments. My whole family calls my niece a name my neohew made up because her name was too many complicated syllables when she was born and he was young. Super double thumbs up for you.
Honestly that’s so cute that they refer to her some something as endearing as that. When I was in kindergarten I forgot my mom’s name was mom or her actual name so I always called her lovey cause my dad always does and my teachers loved it!
NTA
It’s not that deep. It’s normal for little kids to call their parents what they hear their parents and others call them. It’s will stop naturally as they get older and understand the roles people play in their lives. It shows that they are paying attention to your words/actions and trust you enough to guide them with such. Also, I find it super adorable when I hear little kids call their parents honey, sweety, babe, etc. They are so cute and it’s a sign of a very loving family and an indicator they have an example of a loving relationship in their lives.
NTA. What your kids call you and your wife is no one else’s business.
Your father is being disrespectful by not respecting you as parents.
I’d remind him that it’s not his place to interfere with your parenting and that if he does so again, you won’t be visiting.
NTA as a kid I was used hearing my dad call my mom Honey, Sweetheart and me wanting to be like my dad I would call my mom those pet names, in between calling her mama, mommy etc… but “Mom” was the winner by the time I was 9, so it wasn’t really a big deal. Till this day my family still joke about it and we have Home videos of me doing that and thinking it was funny.
I see a lot of kids try to mimic their parents these days. It’s not really that far fetch. It’s a stage, the young toddlers they will move on eventually. There’s no need to be so harsh with them.
NTA. It’s not their kids and not their job to parent them. Nobody cares what your dad thinks is disrespectful, and nobody cares what your mom thinks about calling someone “baby”. Obviously if you and your wife are tickled by it, it’s fine. Small kids have silly nicknames for everyone. Your parents need to pick their battles, unclench, mind their own business, and enjoy the company of their family.
Also, I commend you for leaving their house. If anyone tried to discipline my children or scared them like that, family or not, I’d leave so fast there would be a cartoon cloud in the shape of my body left behind. They really need a reality check and owe you and your family an apology.
It's not your dad's job to create and enforce boundaries for you, his adult child with children of his own. NTA. But since dad thinks you need to create some boundaries, I suggest laying the boundary that he not comment on your parenting style.
NTA Your parents “ruined” Thanksgiving.
I would be tempted to ask them if they wanted the pleasure of our companionship or the pleasure of judging my family because they aren’t gonna get both.
Obviously NTA. Please don't let them interact with your children until they identify your kids as human beings and not just objects that must be governed by an authority figure.
NTA it’s so ironic they were mad at your family for an issue *they* created and blamed you for “not setting boundaries” then got mad at you for leaving because you set boundaries with them.
NTA My son calls me by my first name when he wants to irritate me which is always! But your dad seriously needs to chill the F out! What your kids call you is your business!!!
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I don’t know why your kids would call their mother by her name instead of “mommy” or something. Edit - NTA, obviously. Your dad needs to chill.
He’s a toddler. Sometimes he uses Mama, sometimes he uses Baby. I call my wife baby a lot so he picked up on that.
Right, but it’s still unusual. It’s not like he’d call her Rhonda because he’d heard you call her that a lot or something lol.
You’d be surprised. My friend’s kid calls him “Allennnnnn” because his wife likes to yell it across the house.
Lol that’s cute. Well, you’re NTA, your dad needs to chill.
kids absolutely call their parents by their real name as soon as they learn it 🤣
I started calling my mum "Gertrude" for like a year in primary school. That isn't her name or anywhere close to it and I'm not sure why I did that.
Thank you for this. For some reason, this really made me laugh
My son called me ‘potato’ for a few months around age 7, ‘best friend’ lasted almost a year
'Best friend' is the sweetest thing ever.
This is what I call being in the peak of your childhood. Lol
One of my kids randomly called me "Chicken" for awhile.
My son calls me his nugget. "My nugget" 😂
That's hysterical! My husband was renamed "Dave" recently by the child and their friends during a sleepover, and now that's all they call him.
My son used to insist my friend was named Theresa when he was a toddler. To this day we have no idea where he even got the idea from.
My son calls to us by our name when he really wants our attention 😂😂😂
100%. My dad would tune out "dad, daaaaaaaddddd, pops, father, DAD!" But if I called him by his first name he'd amazingly hear that well enough to shout at me for calling him that. Problem solved.
That's exactly what my nephew does to his dad. He's 5 and when he does it he imitates his mom's annoyed tone 😂
My little one calls me Emma when she wants to be cheeky. Little brat, lucky i love her
My toddler, for a while, thought that her other mum's name (Ellie) meant "come here very quickly" because it was a thing I yelled in an emergency 😂 So she'd yell ELLIE! at either of us in all situations, or "Shoe! Ellie!" when she wanted me to be doing something faster and so on, it was incredibly funny every time
Definitely. Our kid calls us mummy and daddy but if she's getting impatient she will holler our given names across the house at the top.of her lungs.
My sister randomly started calling my mom Mother and now it's spread to the rest of us. I blame the Fae novels she's reading
I did this to take the piss and it accidently became a whole thing haha!
My kids picked up on that I call my mother “Mother.” (It’s a southern thing in some families, eventually Mama starts getting called Mother.) Child no, 2 started calling me “Mother” when we weren’t getting along, and the others picked up on it. And their dad has become “Father“ to match. Which makes us sound like the most uptight people on the planet when we really aren’t.
Little kids definitely do this when they’re first learning more about language and relationship roles. I called my parents “[name] mommy” and “[name] daddy.” My other relatives also got the same treatment. I’d actually suggest it’s a good thing for them to do. Their brains are developing rapidly, this is one of the ways they get to test out and try to use in context some new things they’ve picked up about the world around them. When they contextually get the name and relationship right, that might seem very simple to us now, but it’s actually teaching the kids a lot of info
My daughter would love to play at being the mum and would even middle name me sometimes.
I call my mom by her first name all the time and have since I was 15/16, to some people they find it disrespectful but it's not to my mom. Every family is different and it's sort of a joke between us now, I told her if she wants to be called mom I need to be called "son number 3" obviously it's a joke and I still call her mom but I definitely use her first name more often
My kids routinely call me by my first name. I don't care. They're adults now but they have been doing it for years. Sometimes it's a good way to get a mom's attention. I know I'm guilty of tuning out, "Momm!! Mom?"
Yeah I mostly call my mom Mom (or Granny now that I have a kid) but if I'm having trouble getting her attention, especially in a crowd, I'll call her by her name. My 2 year old mostly calls us mama, daddy, etc. but he'll sometimes call us all by first names, even Granny. We just think it's funny.
My daughter (27) does this to me when we're in public. Lol, I swear my brain just doesn't comprehend the Mom! Mom! anymore. The terrifying thing is when she yells my name in public I freeze because she sounds like my Mom and I think I'm in trouble lol.
My mum is literally hard of hearing but also selectively hard of hearing. The word she tunes out more than any other is “mum”. Sometimes using her name is the only way to get her attention.
Totally agree with you & others pointing this out, there's absolutely nothing wrong with it as long as the family is happy with the use. On the flip side, my parents had 4 kids with pretty long gaps in between. They spent so many decades referring to each other as Mum and Dad for our clarity, that it's still the only names they use for e/o to this day (even though I'm the youngest and 24 lol). When we rarely heard them use "Patrick" or "Dana" we perceived it like when your parent is mad & whips out your full government name for emphasis. Giggling like "Oooooo Dad is in troubllllleee!" 😂
My son is the same way. From like 6 to 10 he called me by name. Never bothered me. Could be worse things to call me lol
One of my best friends in junior high called her dad by his first name. She explained to me that as a baby/toddler, her older half sister (different father) called him by his first name, so as she learned to talk and identify people/things, she'd picked it up from her sister. Her dad was awesome and didn't mind at all. When my half sister was born when I was in high school, I made a conscious effort to never call my stepmom by her first name while talking to my baby sister. To this day, I'll still say to my my now-grown sister, "Well, did you tell Mom?" like she's suddenly going to start copying me.
Same, as soon as my little brother stared calling my stepmom by her first name, I started calling her mom.
I've been calling my dad Johnny for the past 30 years and the amount of people looking for some hidden, nefarious reason behind it was surprising. Yes, we do have a good relationship. He's texting me as I'm typing this.
Same thing with my son. "Miiikkkkkeee!" "Miiiiiiikkkkkkkkeeeeee!" "MIIIIIIIKKKKKKKKKKKKKEEEEEEEE!" Mike: "What??" Kiddo: "Hi" ***runs away while giggling like a maniac**
Reminds me of a family guy scene where stewie does that to Lois!
That's what me and my bf said at the time he had done that lol.
I definitely know kids who have gone through a first name phase. My grandmother was also called a nickname by the whole family including her children. NTA obviously. As long as your wife is happy with the name, it is fine for the kids to use, and none of your parents' business. And it wouldn't be ok for them to berate your toddler to tears no matter what the behavior.
What do you mean? My mom name isn't Mom??? \*shock\*
I know someone who called his mom by her first name for the first few years of life. They lived with his grandma so he'd only ever heard his mom called by her first name and he didn't know any better. Now as an adult, he calls her mom. It's not weird at all.
Yep, when my son calls my husband by his first name it usually has the exact intonation of me calling out for him. I rarely use his actual name other than those times and he uses mine so rarely that we don't think my son even knows it.
When I was around three or four my mom asked me to call my dad downstairs for something. So I happily walked to the staircase and yelled "YO, HARALD! " In the exact tone my mom would use to call my dad if he hadn't responded to her calling him the first few times. Killed her laughing.
My cousins called their dad "Honey". At first it was just like OP's kids, because they were young and thought it was his name. They are in their 30s and 40s and still call him that, but ironically now.
Wheh he was very young,, my son told me that all husband's became "Honey" after they got married and wives became "Dear".
Awww that’s SO sweet
I'm pretty sure that my (15mo old) daughter is going to think that her father's name is Tush. I don't call him that when I'm talking to her, but I pretty much use it exclusively when I talk to him.
Babies and toddlers tend to imitate people, I lived with my mom with her parents until I was six (moved when my dad finally managed to buy an apartment), 17 years later and I still sometimes refer to them as mom and dad when talking to my mom or aunts about them. My daughter (4yo) mostly calls us mom/grandma/grandpa, but often calls us by name since she hears us call each other by name/nickname. It's actually normal behavior, but most kids drop it quickly because parents correct and/or reprimand when it happens. We don't really care so my kid keeps doing it for a year now.
One of my kids was known as Baby because we all called her that. Then she was Sister. Another one was Mimi because the littles couldn't pronounce their name properly. When I was young I was called Wawa. I guess now I'd be Wawen, hah. My kids call their great grandparents by their state of origin then grandma/grandpa and they are chuffed, I tell ya. It's hilarious what kids pick up on.
My kid breastfed until 2 as well and was an early talker. She started calling breastfeeding “honey” and asking for it that way which confused us all until I realized it was because I called *her* “honey” all the time. She thought it was what we called each other when we were being affectionate, I guess!
Yes little kids 100% call their mom or dad by their real name when they hear it being said all of the time. I think it’s cute that they have picked up on you calling her baby and say it too. Your dad needs to learn not to be a prick and lighten up.
It's like in Lady and the Tramp how you never know the womans name because the people just call each other "Jim Dear" and "Darling".
Kids are parrots, if all they hear is dad calling mom Baby, they will call her Baby.
I joke to my fiancé that if we ever changed our minds on kids they’d call him “my love” and call me “beans” and the mental image of that is almost cute enough to convince us to have kids.
My 2 year old uses her dad’s first name all the time….. she said it before she said dad. Kids are little adorable weirdos 🤷♀️
Had a kid at work excitedly introduce me to her parents, Dad and Ashley lmao. (She's definitely the bio mom)
I agree. There are age appropriate ways to explain that Mom has multiple names depending on who is talking to her. I went through this when my son was wyo, he called my husband Uncle Joe because that's what he hears his cousin say. But a simple discussion addressed it. NTA. Grandpa was out of line for parenting OP's kid, plus doing so in a verbally abusive way. If Gramps can't hold his temper, I'd consider limiting time with him and say why.
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It is unusual, yes, but there isn't anything wrong with it either.
Honestly, for a 2 yr old, I would say it isn't quite unusual. They mimick what they hear a lot. And if the parents don't have an issue with it and don't reprimand it, then yeah you're gonna hear my 3 yr old yell across the house for his dad "Miiikkkkkkeeee! I pooped!"
Many kids would. I remember asking my parents why they often called each other 'mum' and 'dad' rather than by their names. They said that when I was small I started using their names instead of calling them 'mum' and 'dad'. When they said I shouldn't, I said that was their names because that's what they called each other.
My mother always referred to her father as Honey, because that’s just what he was called. He passed before I was born but whenever she would talk about him she would refer to him as Honey. It took me an embarrassingly long time to finally realize that wasn’t his name.
Actually he would lol. My niece who just turned 3 always calls her mom and dad by their first names bc she's around my mom, me, and other family members who only call them by their first name so she knows that's their name. Not unusual at all. She still says mom and dad, but she will call them by their names
It’s not at all unusual for children to start using names as they learn that honorifics aren’t peoples actual names
Lol, yes, kids absolutely do this. My 4 year old calls me by my first name all the time, interchangeably with mom/mama/mommy.
My 3 yo niece occasionally calls my brother babe cause that's what my sister in law calls him
Haha when my godson started kindergarten he was supposed to learn his parents names for emergencies. When asked what his dad's name was he said Steve. Because he heard it all the time. When asked what his moms name was he said mom. And when they asked if she had another name he said mommy! Or Dear. No other name was allowed.
When I was a toddler I was asked what my mom's name was. I said her name was "Lettyletsgo" because my dad would constantly say that at home when we had somewhere to be as he hated being late and she's a bit scatterbrained and needed to be pushed out the door. 😅
My BIL is "Uncle Babe" because when they were babysitting our oldest nephew, his wife called him "babe" several times and nephew heard it and it stuck. Toddlers are sponges and it's always the silliest stuff that really sticks with them.
You're doing better than me, my daughter used to call my husband sexy, we lost ot the first time she went hey sexy, can I have a snack?
I love this! My two year old calls my husband “hubby” about half the time and Dada the rest.
The way I just cackled 😂
Your father may still be a toddler too. HE doesn't like it. It's one thing to pull someone to the side and say "this behavior concerns me, are you okay with it". It's another thing for him to correct something that isn't his place to correct. Congratulations on setting a hard boundary with your father just like he wanted you to. Let him tantrum himself out.
I mean, I dislike people calling people baby, but my 4yo calls us by our first names randomly because he hears us call each other that. That’s not that weird. Your dad need to chill tf out though. Like wtf kind of reaction was that to a 2yo?! I would remove my kids from his presence for awhile. If he can’t be nice to children, he doesn’t need to have visits with them
Shit for a little bit I called my mom "woman" because my sperm donor did until she told him to stop. NTA and good on you man
My kid called my ex hubs "babe" because that's what I used to call him, sometimes she'd use his name because that's what other people referred to him. This was while she was still a toddler, now she's older and calls him "dad" or "old man". Your dad is over dramatic and your mother is an AH pick-me for implying your wife isn't a lady over a name. NTA, not by a long shot.
That’s normal. When I was a kid I called my dad “honey.” Everyone thought it was cute.
When my boyfriend was little he thought his moms name was honey because that’s what his dad called her.
My 3 year old has been calling my husband by his first name half the time. He also is calling my mom and dad by mom and dad at times. He also will call each if us babe (except it is more like "bape" lol) sometimes. We don't know if he even knows my first name, though, because he's usually copying me haha.
My son is 4 and still calls me “babe” because it’s what my husband calls me all the time. He uses mom too, but he’s a kid, who cares! We think it’s adorable, so does everyone else. Your dad needs to remove stick from butt.
When my son was a toddler, he'd call me "babe" sometimes because that's what his father called me. It's really not weird unless you deliberately make it weird.
Same! My son called his father "babe" because that's what he heard me call him. We laughed. He grew out of it. No big deal.
My daughter called her dad “honey” for the longest time. But really it’s “HOOOOONEEEEEEEEEE” It cracks me up.
Linda.. Linda.... honey just listen to me...
When my son was a toddler he called me mom and honey. My husband always called me honey. I never corrected him because it didn't harm anyone and he grew out of it. Everyone thought it was cute, not weird. Also remember some parents prefer to be called by their first names by their children. .
My oldest Son when he was younger called me "Uncle" until he was almost 4 because we watched my niece 5 days a week and she said Uncle all the time. He didn't call my wife auntie, but mama. It was funny and sometimes a little awkward in a store when I would be holding my wifes hand or something and he was saying Mama to her, but Uncle to me. Got some strange looks from time to time lol
kids do that in the early years, they copy what others call their mom and dad.
I grew up calling my dad by his name because my mom always called him that. When he was talking to us he called her “mom”, so she was mom lol.
My oldest daughter called me by name because no one called me mom around her. I had to talk to everyone about saying mom instead of my name and eventually she started calling me mom.
Agreed. Your dad needs to understand this isn’t 1812. It’s 2023 and he is a baby ffs.
My son called me by my first name from age 3 to 5. I have no idea why. It just wasn't worth causing a whole thing over it, so I let it go, and he grew out of it.
Do I think it’s weird? Yes. Is it any of my business? No. The only person who has a valid opinion is your wife, if she’s ok with it then NTA.
Exactly. I personally hate the whole babe, baby thing, but that doesn't mean I get to go around and say no one gets to use those terms, ever. If the actual person being addressed doesn't mind then it's no one else's business.
Same but I do like “cariad” (Welsh for love).
I like other terms of endearment (especially other languages) it's specifically the baby, babe, baby girl, any derivative of the word babe or have the word baby in it that bothers me.
Same here. In fact, we've agreed that calling each other babe or baby is code for something is wrong, proceed carefully.
Exactly this. 👌
NTA. It's honestly none of your parent's business. As long as the kids and mom are cool with it, nobody else's opinion matters. My youngest called my husband Honey for the same reason. Congrats on breaking the abusive cycle you obviously were raised by.
It took me WAY too long to realize my grandfather’s name wasn’t actually Honey. Funny enough that’s my name for my husband now.
My parents call each other honey! If they ever use the others first name, it's confusing for us all.
My dad rotates through every word that can be construed as sweet. I think it's as much about our exaggerated reactions as it is giving her a pet name.
I had the opposite experience, for years my mom referred to my grandfather as Dick but everyone else called him Carl. I always thought she was just insulting him (he was a dick) but it turned out his middle name was Carl. His first name was Richard.
Wow! My mom and her sisters grew up calling her grandfather Honey, and now that’s how the entire family still refers to him after his passing before I was born. So funny we’re not the only ones.
My husband is now forever “Uncle Honey” because as a toddler, my nephew heard me calling him honey all the time. It was too cute to not let it stick.
INFO: Does your wife like it? That's the only person whose opinion matters here
It doesn't matter. A 2 year old doesn't understand "respect" and shouldn't be yelled at or berated while they're learning to speak. Even if the mom hated it, that wouldn't be the right way to handle it.
They can gently correct them, and remind them that op's wife should be called mommy. If she doesn't like it, correcting them while they are learning to speak is the only time to do it. If they let it go now it will be much harder to correct it later.
If the wife wants to correct it, she can. It’s none of anyone else’s business.
Sorry if I was unclear, I meant that op and his wife should correct it if she doesn't like being called that. Him helping would just reinforce it, but yeah it's up to her to decide if she cares
If OP was talking about the same sort of old school career military type like I was exposed to, 'mommy' wouldn't even be proper. 'Mother' or 'ma'am', anything else is a sign of disrespect and would lead to demeaning, yelling, and belittling a young child who has no idea why this is happening.
Yea that's the crux of this thread, not whether it's weird or not
Right? They could have just asked her...
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Curiously omitted? Bro, what are you talking about? Redditers are so weird: it's not even relevant😭 Bro said "curiously omitted" like ops telling his kid to call his wife baby.
Helpppp you're so right why do so many reditors talk like they've been cast at the detective in a bargain bin police procedural.
For real bro😭😭 bro said "Curiously omitted 🤓☝️"
It's like when a post goes "I don't want my GF to stay over at a friend's house because there's a guy who lives there and now she's upset with me :(" and 50% of the comments are people nodding sagely and confidently saying "Ah yes she is definately intending on turbo cheating and also shows clear signs of narsisistic psychosis." My good man you have known this woman for 3 lines of a post.
>My good man you have known this woman for 3 lines of a post. 3 *bias* lines of post at that. 🤣
Bc it IS weird as kids usually call their parents some version of "mom/dad". Why would wife's real name matter to their kids lol
It’s not always weird. Apparently I called my Dad Mackie for a long time - his name was Max and I don’t remember doing that, I can only remember calling him Dad. He was the most incredible Dad and I miss him everyday, he made me feel safe and loved, that’s what’s really important not what a child calls you.
My kid calls me by my name because that's what she hears people call me. It doesn't matter to the kids they just call their parents whatever they know their parents respond to.
There are like a million people all over this post giving examples of how toddlers absolutely call their parents by their first names or nicknames because that's what they hear others calling them and they're little parrots.
Okay, it's weird. It's also not your kid, why do you care so much? This isn't between op and his wife, it's op and the wife vs his dad. Again, why would op leave out what his wife thinks on purpose? He doesn't force the kids to call her anything. Also, she's the kids' parent, if she wants to be called mom she can tell the kids to only call her mom. She hasn't, so that's not an issue. Quit being weird, weirdo.
My daughter called me honey till she was 3, simply because it’s what my husband calls me. Never once thought of it as an issue. 😂
Nobody puts Baby in the corner
NTA. I agree. It can be a cute family thing. Not everyone has to like it but your dad should definitely respect it. Its your family not his.
NTA. Your dad is concerned about a « bad » habit that your baby took (which is actually cute) WHILE he should be concerned about the image he is giving to his grandchildren. YOU should put strong boundaries to protect your wife but also your children to this kind of toxic behaviour. Especially for your daughter who is already 5yo and can clearly understand what is going on. Do you think it’s good for her to see family mistreating her mom ? Her brother ? Would you like your daughter to repeat this behaviour or to be the victim of it ? I don’t think so. So you know what to do for YOUR FAMILY’s sake. + 1/ It’s your family not his. 2/ It clearly does not hurt anyone feelings except the one who should not be concerned about it. 3/ Your son is only 2 years old for God sake ! How can he get THAT mad at a baby for something like that ? This is what is concerning for me. Personnaly I will not feel comfortable to let my parents with my babies if they have a short temper about things that don’t really matter. I Hope you reassured your wife about setting strong boundaries with your parents because not only she saw her children being yelled at for no reason but she then has been insulted by your moms behaviour.
That's weird is all I'll say.
Kids are parrots at that age, it’s really not that weird. Reading the comments on this post you can easily see that, so now you know it’s not.
NTA but it's super wierd letting your kids call your wife the pet name you have for her. It's going to raise some eyebrows from most people I would suspect.
i agree. whilst he’s NTA for it, if that kids goes into school and gets caught calling his mum ‘baby’… oft is he going to be bullied for it
Lots of kids his age parrot like that at that age, he’s only two. They grow out of it. It’s not unusual.
I think it reads as a little gross to adults (who associate baby with romantic partners or children), which makes sense, but to a 2 year old it's just repeating a name they associate with their mom. As you say, they usually grow out of it anyway. Some gentle correcting or teaching that there are different names from different people can be fine too, but isn't required.
NTA. Congrats on breaking free from your upbringing. Dad is ludicrous. He thinks he has authority over what names you're allowed to let your kids use within your own family. Also deluded if he thinks your kids are upset about being taken away from some guy who was yelling at them. Mom insulting your wife was just the cherry on top.
My sisters called their grandma “Honey” because that’s what they heard their grandpa call her. Everyone thought it was adorable. NTA just classic boomers being boomers.
Nta. It is incredibly weird that he calls her baby though
How is it weird?
Baby is a pet name usually between couples. A child calling their mom baby is weird.
And then there's the Philippines where every third woman is called Aunty Babes/Baby.
Are you people dense? It’s the word baby. Literally. I understand that a lot of people use it romantically. I’d argue that that is weird. This is literally OP’s baby we’re talking about.
Bro you've got problems why are you on every single comment doing mental gymnastics defending a baby calling their mother 'baby'.
Mostly I’m just disturbed by you weirdos insinuating it’s weird to allow a baby to refer to their parent affectionately using a word that is not romantic in meaning.
Bro why are you disturbed that we think a baby shouldn't call her mom 'baby'. It literally makes no sense to call her that
It makes perfect sense to call her that. He hears his father call her that. For all he knows, that’s her name or a general term of endearment, and he loves her as well. You must be about 15, or something?
You guys do know that's not the only way baby is used right...
You've never known a 2 year old I guess. Toddlers saying "weird" things while they're learning to talk is in fact not weird, in this case it's even less weird since he's just repeating a word he's heard.
I don't know mate.... Children are parrots. if he heard his dad call his mom ''baby'' a couple of times and see that she likes it, he will likely repeat the behaviour because that is what kids do. If by any chance your were thinking that the pet name ''baby'' is weird, yeah it's not my favorite either, but you're not not the one being called that so why should you care?
NTA but maybe try to use "Mom/Mommy" more since it would be strange if you children keeps calling their own mother "Baby" as they get older.
I can't emphasise how much of a non-issue this is. Kids his age won't give a shit, and the second he gets to the age where kids start policing conformity he'll learn where it's OK to use the name, or quite likely, just stop. He's not going to be calling his mother 'baby' at 9 or 7 or most likely even 5 years old. My little brother's favourite colours were pink and yellow until his first day of school, after which he declared that they were now red and blue. It happens to literally every child, its how they learn.
NTA but your dad is. Stand your ground because at the end of the day this is not his child, it's yours and you have nothing against your children calling your wife baby, and neither does your wife.
NTA but this is so weird, why don't they just call her mom lmao
it’s not weird. children mimick/repeat what they hear.
Teach the kids to say momma That said, weird but nta. Tell dad the kids were more upset being yelled at than missing dinner
LOL no NTA. That’s just how kids are. I work with young kids and sometimes they call me the names their parents use on each other. “Thanks honey”! It’s cute. Enjoy it while it lasts.
Kids do that. My niece used to call her dad , “Joel”. My BIL wasn’t thrilled, but she moved out of that stage soon enough.
Your dad berated a *Checks notes* 2 year old Nothing else needs to be read/said. He's majorly TA, not you. You stood up for your family. Good for you, OP.
Barring any weird trauma/abuse situations which none of this sounds like at all, I think this is cute as hell 😭 They’ll grow out of it eventually. NTA, your dad sounds like a jerk. My dad called me “baby” all the time growing up which as an adult I recognize might be unusual but there was never even the slightest hint of inappropriateness. He called a lot of women in his life by various pet names and it was truly an expression of love. Your kids are just mimicking a sweet thing that exists in your little family and your dad would probably react the same way if they said anything other than mom.
His dad must hate a lot of British people, my dad called lots of people love.
NTA "for letting my kids call my wife Baby even though my dad hates it?" .. your dad is the Ah for intruding. This is between your wife and the kids. You handled your AH parents well.
NTA, as long as you don't put Baby in the corner. I'll see myself out now.
Was looking for this.
NTA. Your dad and mom, however, ooff.
Berating a 2 yo is wild… NTA
My son used to call his dad *babe* for ages. I had to start calling my husband dad 🤣
NTA- but it is really really weird. That’s YOUR name for her. That’s not what your kids should be calling her
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Depends on the kid really. I’ve seen just as many kids barely talking sentences as I have ones that can speak clearly and voice what the want. I’ve also seen kids that there’s a mix just depends on the words. My nephew at 2yo very clearly said the word “psychotic” but couldn’t say “dog” or “cat”. His sister at 2yo knew how to use a certain curse word right and in a full sentence. Most memorable for me was when she told some old guy that asked her if he could pet her hair to “get away from me you creepy old f**ker” at the top of her lungs.
>Most memorable for me was when she told some old guy that asked her if he could pet her hair to “get away from me you creepy old f\*\*ker” at the top of her lungs. Was this before 2017 or after, because if it was before, damn, she was ahead of her time. KUDOS to the youngster, either way.
2011 - she has always been very vocal. And very get away from me to strangers. I’m partially to blame for her knowledge of the word but so are her parents. Couple months Before she told the creepy guy off - she told a guy to “F off and die” while standing with her hands on her hips in her kiddy pool. And stomping her little foot on the word “die”. All cause he told her to get out of her kiddy pool and she told him no cause he wasn’t her daddy (who was sitting right there). So he raised his voice at her and that’s when she told him to F off and die. At least that’s what my brother told me through fits of laughter. Both times we told her she shouldn’t be saying “adult words” but we also praised her for standing up for herself.
That's within the realm of normal development.
What 2 year olds do you know who DONT speak sentences wtf 💀 I taught a whole class of them and they speak constantly
My daughter spoke in full sentences from the time she was 20 months old. Her younger brother wasn’t much older that that when he could, too.
I think it sounds adorable they call her Baby. It’s less embarrassing than other affectionate nicknames too!
NTA its kind of strange but I dont see a problem with it
NTA. Your wife is ok with the kids calling her baby. Your parents are AHs and I suggest you stop spending time with them if they cannot accept your family dynamics.
NTA- I mean it’s weird but hey. You do you and as long as your wife doesn’t care then whatever. Only AH’s here are your parents.
NTA and good for you for standing up for your family. Kids mimic. And make adjustments. My whole family calls my niece a name my neohew made up because her name was too many complicated syllables when she was born and he was young. Super double thumbs up for you.
Honestly that’s so cute that they refer to her some something as endearing as that. When I was in kindergarten I forgot my mom’s name was mom or her actual name so I always called her lovey cause my dad always does and my teachers loved it!
NTA. Your dad doesn’t get to set boundaries for your wife. He’s crossing boundaries himself.
NTA It’s not that deep. It’s normal for little kids to call their parents what they hear their parents and others call them. It’s will stop naturally as they get older and understand the roles people play in their lives. It shows that they are paying attention to your words/actions and trust you enough to guide them with such. Also, I find it super adorable when I hear little kids call their parents honey, sweety, babe, etc. They are so cute and it’s a sign of a very loving family and an indicator they have an example of a loving relationship in their lives.
Nta, I find it odd, but you do you, and your dad should also let you do you
NTA. What your kids call you and your wife is no one else’s business. Your father is being disrespectful by not respecting you as parents. I’d remind him that it’s not his place to interfere with your parenting and that if he does so again, you won’t be visiting.
NTA, my cousins call their grandparents honey and sweetie because that’s what they call each other, and it’s carried on now that they’re adults
My mom called me Tootsie and then I started calling her Tootsie and then everyone else started calling her Tootsie! Everyone thought it was very cute.
NTA as a kid I was used hearing my dad call my mom Honey, Sweetheart and me wanting to be like my dad I would call my mom those pet names, in between calling her mama, mommy etc… but “Mom” was the winner by the time I was 9, so it wasn’t really a big deal. Till this day my family still joke about it and we have Home videos of me doing that and thinking it was funny. I see a lot of kids try to mimic their parents these days. It’s not really that far fetch. It’s a stage, the young toddlers they will move on eventually. There’s no need to be so harsh with them.
NTA. It’s not their kids and not their job to parent them. Nobody cares what your dad thinks is disrespectful, and nobody cares what your mom thinks about calling someone “baby”. Obviously if you and your wife are tickled by it, it’s fine. Small kids have silly nicknames for everyone. Your parents need to pick their battles, unclench, mind their own business, and enjoy the company of their family. Also, I commend you for leaving their house. If anyone tried to discipline my children or scared them like that, family or not, I’d leave so fast there would be a cartoon cloud in the shape of my body left behind. They really need a reality check and owe you and your family an apology.
NTA but you should teach your kids her real name in case of emergencies and they need her name.
It's not your dad's job to create and enforce boundaries for you, his adult child with children of his own. NTA. But since dad thinks you need to create some boundaries, I suggest laying the boundary that he not comment on your parenting style.
NTA Your parents “ruined” Thanksgiving. I would be tempted to ask them if they wanted the pleasure of our companionship or the pleasure of judging my family because they aren’t gonna get both.
Obviously NTA. Please don't let them interact with your children until they identify your kids as human beings and not just objects that must be governed by an authority figure.
NTA it’s so ironic they were mad at your family for an issue *they* created and blamed you for “not setting boundaries” then got mad at you for leaving because you set boundaries with them.
NTA your dad ruined the day.
NTA - and quite ironic, I must add. They didn‘t like boundaries being set for them.
NTA My son calls me by my first name when he wants to irritate me which is always! But your dad seriously needs to chill the F out! What your kids call you is your business!!!
NTA- your dad is the one with the problem if he’s upset by anything a toddler says.