Bigger is at the absolutely just ready for school stage (can you believe they don’t actually start until the 10th of September and then are only there for about 15 minutes?) and pushing against just about every boundary we have around the place. Actually not totally true, she hasn’t been brave enough to break out through the gate and into the Deep Dark Wood, mostly I assume because of the presence of Gruffallos..
Sorry there was a point to this, give me a moment to get back on track, but one of her tests of our boundaries is the gleeful discovery that I have A Name and that my passport does not describe me as Mummy Muddling
She delights in calling me Hannah and to be honest I much prefer that to ‘Mum’ – I’m comfortable with Mummy – heck I even call my own mother than and I’m rapidly approaching 40 (mental note that there is probably another blog post in there) but I don’t like Mum – I don’t quite know why
Perhaps it is that Mummy is the first thing they called me – Mamma is ok but only used by Littler just before she tries and manipulates me into doing something I don’t want to – think along the lines of ‘Mamma I so love you, you are the best Mamma in the world, please may I have a chocolate biscuit / meringue / new ballet kit’…
But is it so wrong for my children to call by my actual name?
I mean because it is actually who I am and yes I do answer to it so am I nuts to insist on them calling me ‘Mummy’ when they don’t want to? Is it too terribly modern, too terribly right on, too terribly ‘with the kids’ to even consider?
Still worse things could happen – this weekend Littler worked out I have a family nickname (mostly because my Father forgot my actual name about 20 years ago and hasn’t called me by it since… including in his speech at our wedding…) and called me by it at lunch… that needs killing off quickly – perhaps being Hannah rather than Mummy is the perfect compromise?
From when I first talked I called my mother by her first name. When I went to school I switched to Mummy, I guess because that’s what everyone else did. When I was a little bit older (I think about 10) my mother told me this story and said it made her really sad because she loved that I called her by her first name. So, I started to call her Helen again. And still do to this day. And she is Granny Helen to all her grandchildren.
I love being called Mummy/Mama/Mum myself but I also love calling my mother Helen!
I can’t imagine calling my mother by her name but then we are a really nickname family so it is still a bit of a shock when people call me Hannah (call me a slow learner!)
I’m a bit of a traditionalist and just love to be called ‘mummy’…. I think because everyone else in my life calls me Alice but only my children can call me mummy!
That’s a really good point – shall see if I can persuade them that it’s special and just for them? Might work?
My daughter sometimes calls me Mummy Rosie, which is fine. She hears people calling me by my name all the time. Recently she’s started to say Mum a few times, but I much prefer Mummy. Maybe the word Mum tells me that she’s growing up and doesn’t need me quite so much, so I’m clinging on to Mummy for all it’s worth.
Mum just sounds so grown up doesn’t it? I don’t want them growing up too fast!
My little angels frequently call me Jane, I call my mum shirl (its her name) it all works x
My little angels frequently call me Jane, I call my mum shirl (its her name) it all works x Xxxxxx.
Not too fussed with Hannah, not a fan of Mum. Presumably if I make a fuss they’ll do the exact opposite because they can!
What does your father call you? You have to share!
Lalalalalala can’t hear you…
Great post! I’m a Mummy, and like you I still call my mother ‘Mummy’, she wouldn’t answer to anything else – when desperately embarrased as a teenager I used to call her by her first name and sometimes I switch between the two but like Alice says with the girls I emphasise that only they can actually call me Mummy which they quite like, they do try it on a bit and spend a day or so referring to me and hubbie by our first names, I find if I don’t respond it knocks it on the head! I have a family nickname that most people who know me use and they obviously know my real name…they then came up with a nickname for me which thankfully was Momo and switch between those.
I’m going to mention that to them and see what happens – am hoping it is just a phase and we’ll all move on – trouble with nicknames at the moment is their obsession with bodily functions…
I think Alice has completely summed up how I feel about being called mummy. I love being called mummy and I love that it’s just a special name that only two people in the world can call me.
Why haven’t I thought about it like that – shall suggest to mine that is why they should call me it and we shall see
I’ve been ‘Mum’ for ages – but I would much prefer to be ‘Mummy’!!
I do get mum, mummy and mama too, but more and more it is just Mum. Both have tried out my first name, and both have also had a go using the names Adrian and I often use for each other (things like Darling, Hunny), but it always goes back to Mum.
I call my parents ‘Mama’ and ‘Papa’!!!
I do have a friend who calls her dad by his first name – she doesn’t know why, it’s just what they always did.
It’s strange what they settle on – have asked mine to call mine Mummy which has led to an increase of Hannah… Well except when they fall over