Daycare Baby Calling All Women Mom?

When I taught in day care while in college, all the students called me mommy. They were 12 mos. This is so normal! It passed.

Very common. Every boy my daughter sees is now bubba. I have to say boy everytime so she will learn. Momma is I want something. lol. As a previous post mentioned, just correct him with the right name when he calls you momma. "Say ? sweetie."

Another idea is to have pictures of his loved ones in a plastic photo album. He can look at them through the day and you could point to his mom and say momma, point to you and say ?, and so forth.

Let the mom know it is common so she does't get upset.

My son only called me "Mama" during the time in his life that I was nursing him. When I stopped nursing, he stopped using the name. I realized one day that "mama" meant "milk" to him.

What bothered ME was that he did not call me anything after that. One day when he was about 3, he started calling me "Doddy". I don't know why, but I was "Doddy" for about 6 months until a teacher taught him to say "Mommy" (I literally cried with joy).

I guess what I am trying to say is: until kids understand the words they are hearing/saying, they will use them for other things. This little one may be using the word "mommy" for all women because he thinks the word is for all women. When he calls you "mommy", continue to ask, "where's Mommy" or say something like, "No, I'm Mrs. C. [or whatever you want him to call you]."

Tell his mother that he was looking for HER. Then tell her the story of when you asked, "where's Mommy". This might reasure her that he is learning who she is.

I hope this helps.

P. <><
Former preschool teacher (I've been called mama by several of the little ones.)

You were right in telling her that he is repeating what he is hearing. I have a niece who is now 7. She spent a lot of time with us as a baby due to my sister's work schedule and dad was not around. I became mommy_____ and my husband was daddy________. We had no problems as she knew who her mom was but she learned to talk while being around my kids at the time who were 9 and 3. At the same time, I did have a relative who took offense to my niece calling us mom/dad and she would go out of her way to correct it everytime she heard my niece call us. Right now it causes confusion and hurt with my niece who sometimes slips and still calls my daddy_______. My sister listening to the relative gets onto my niece. I finally had to explain that my niece knows who her mom and dad are and calling my husband daddy_____ should not hurt anyone as he was the only daddy she knew while she was a baby until about age 3.

Please reassure this mom that it is okay. Encourage her to continue to do quality things with the child. When the child starts to really talk, she will find that she will less and less call others mommy.

My son called my mom "mommy" for a long time. I think it is quite common and I am a SAHM who has never used a babysitter other than my mom. I think it is normal as they are trying to incorporate words and meanings into their language.

When I had my first son I was single...
I worried about Everything! including who he called momma and dada...
no dada around just me and my childcare buddies (all ladies) anytime he saw a man it was a dada which embarrassed and scared me to think he didn't know what a dada was now he calls his stepdad, dad or Keith...depending on what he wants (ha ha) but in his mind at the time any man was a dada and a woman was a mama so please let her know its good that he is learning the difference between men and women and that now that is a great step in understanding his surroundings and that you feel lucky to have him in your life and she is the only "mamma" that will ever hold that title
also let her know about this site and some of us were in her spot before and she can get advice here anytime as well as "been there done thatisms"
good luck
D.

My nephew calls almost every woman mama, I think it's just their term for female care giver.

This is no BIG deal. Little ones here that word and just say it. I sit as well and have had many little ones call me mommy! There moms laugh when I tell them. They say that thir children do it to every woman they see. As they get older they will relize who is what and what to call you.

My son didn't even call me mom till he was almost 2!

When I was younger, we watched a baby since she was about 6 months to about 5 years old, and she called my mom "mommy" and her mom by the first name.

It was because they didn;t refer to her mom by "mommy" her husband called her by her first name and we children called our mom "mommy" so she just learned those names.

Pretty soon, her child will put the names and meanings together. Maybe when the baby calls you "mommy" you can correct him by using another name, like "nana" or something. It may help.

Also, when I was pregnant with my first, I took an infant to toddler psychology class at a local community college to help my anxiety and I can honestly say it has helped me be a much better mom. If she can't take a class, I would reccommened for her to at least read a good infant/toddler psychology book, since she is so young and unaware... I wish that more women would do this.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Da...

My girls called every male "Daddy" for about six months. Even after that if they saw someone mowing the lawn or working in the yard, they called him "Daddy." Tell Mom to look for a difference in the way the baby looks at her when it says Mommy to her - it will be different than the way she says it to other people. Like someone said, "Mom" is just a word, but it was the first word because Mom is so important to the baby; now the baby is just practicing saying that very important word. good luck and it's great that you care so much.

My niece called both me and my mom "momma". It really bothered my sister but all it was to her was a new work she could say. She definitely knew her real mommy when the going got tough. I think it's normal.

I have two boys. Both of them called other woman mommy. Tell her to give it some time and it will pass. Also ask for a picture of her. Then when he says mommy bring out the picture, it will reinforce the name association. But I mean at so young it just takes time and his speech to develop before he really starts getting it straight. My youngest who is 2 calls me mommy but every other woman "Dita" the name for his Abuelita, and every guy daddy, even his pap-pap (grandad)- which he can say-personally I think he is just bein lazy. :) He wasn't even trying to say other names until another little boy cam e over to play and would repeat things he was asked to, that was yesterday. Today my lil guy is repeating just about everything.

Babies go through a stage when they call all women mommy, or all men daddy, or every four legged animal doggy, they don't see a difference. They have to be taught the difference. I really wouldn't worry about it. It is unfortunate that she can't spend more time with him but it happens. Just try to spend more times pointing things out to him and identifying them (mommy). He probably just doesn't have the word for other things yet. Hope this helps.

I have taken care of an almost 4-year-old boy since he was 8 mos. old. He has called me mom until just recently. Now I am "P.." He called me mom because my kids call me mom, but he knows the difference and always has. He calls his mom "Mom" and by her first name because my kids call her by her first name. He knows who is who, that's what's important. Now my 11 month-old daughter says "mom" or "momma" for everything she needs, and she says "dada" for all men and any time she's having fun!
C., you are doing that young mother a great service by not only taking care of her son when she needs it, but by also showing her how to be a good caregiver and mom. That young mother's exposure to your happy family makes a strong impression I'm sure. Keep up the good work! Kids are so much fun!

My niece calls my mom and her other grandmother "Mama Gayle" and "Mama Beth" since both grandmothers keep her most of the time while my brother and his wife work or travel. It was just something my niece started and insisted on when she was learning to talk and associate names with faces.

We laugh when we think that she could call my dad "Papa John" but he has reinforced Granddad in her to avoid that :0)

I have my kids (ages 8 and 5) to call my friends by their first name but with Ms. in the front...Ms. Sherri, Ms. Karen, etc.

J.

Mommy is just a word right now. Be glad he didn't start saying daddy first - because then everyone is DADDY. Even mom.

That baby knows who he wants when he's hurt or feeling bad - and that's his mama, no ifs ands or buts about it.

S.