what do your kids call you?

[Annabel]

I'm just wondering, what do your kids call you (or what do you intend for them to call you) if you are a two mama or two dad family?
Just curious!

[Kimlee]

We are a 2 mom family. Our 3 y.o. daughter calls me Mama and my partner Mommy (thats how we planned it). Sometimes she just calls us Mom. For a while she had a nick-name for me which was "Momo-mama". I don't know where that came from but it was kinda cute.:love

[megincl]

i am mommy, my partner is mamma (said with an emphasis on the first syllable, not like momma, as she lived part of her life in sweden and that's how they say it there. :) ).

we planned those names. ds is 7mo, so he hasn't really weighed in yet.

when we talk about both of us, we try to say "moms" and not "mommies," so as to not favor the use of mommy.

clearly, i think we think a bit too much about this, and quinn will make his own decisions and articulate them once he is able!

megin

[Midwesternmomma]

I have great friends that are lesbians. Their kids call them Mamá and Mum, but they have it easy because one is British and the other is Spanish..but anyone could use it. Oddly enough, when the kids are having a meltdown moment or being snuggly they each get a gentler version with Mamí and Mummy. It has worked really well for them. Anne

[chfriend]

Mommy and Amma (and whatever weird variations my 3 yr old is trying this week. Mom and Am; Ammy....)

[MamaHama]

I'm mama, my partner is mommy. We planned it this way. Our son went through a period when he was just starting to talk where called me didi and my partner dida. Have no idea why. we thought it was kind of funny.

[Amazlilith]

I'm Mami and my partner is Mama...and we planned it that way...although our two year old will scream all of them to get what she wants.

[Henry's Mom]

I am Mommy and dp is Momma, we choose it. Our 2 1/2 yo always corrects other people when they get it wrong!

[florabunda]

I have a best friend who is Mom or Mommy and her partner is Auntie. They chose to use these names for their dd and ds. It's getting a bit confusing for ds, however, as he's almost 9 yo and is trying to explain his family situation, (mostly at school) in the best way he can. "No, Auntie is not my Mom's sister, etc."

Works well for them!

[mplsmom]

I am Mama, and I have always wanted to be one. My DP decided that she would be the first sound that DD made, so she could say that dd said her name first. DD decided that DP was 'baba'. One day when the three of us were together, Dd pointed at me and said "mama', the she pointed at DP and said 'baba', and repeated herself, incase we did not understand the first time!?!?
We had friends of ours over tonight, and when DD's friend wanted some help, it was 'baaabaaaa!!

[emmasayshi]

?

[BrooklynDoula]

I am a bi mama with a male DP and ur son has now taken to calling us both mama!

[BCmommy]

:D That is cute!

[Annabel]

Thanks everyone for answering. It's just one of those things I wondered about.

[Jentle]

My partner's daughter (from her last relationship) calls her Da and me Jen. Her birth mother is Mommy and Mommy's girlfriend is Momma... though that might be different now as they broke up... (more than a little worried about that)

So, when we have a baby, K will stay Da and I'll be Mama/Mom/Mommy/whatever works for the Cub.

.... I'm not sure how they picked Da, but it suits her.

[maisydaze]

My 2 1/2 year old daughter calls us both Mama, but she also calls us Mama Lisa and Mama Janet.

[strength]

We decided in the beginning that we would let ur son (three in July) develop the "labeling" on his own. This is what he came up with: My partner who is bio mom is called "Mudder" (No, he's never been on the East Coast) or "Mommmy". I am "Big Vieja", "Vieja" or "Mom". My partner is from Mexico and we are a bilingual household hence "Vieja". :hola:

[stanya]

First of all, just want to say I'm so glad I have found y'all after weeks of searching through extremely straight forums. Anyway...I'm newly pregnant (seven weeks) and my partner and I are wondering what the kid will call us. We're a butch/femme couple. I'll easily be "mom" or "mama" but we think of my partner clearly as "dad." But in this gender-narrow society, we feel it might not be fair to have the kid call her "dad" because the rest of the world will repsond with confusion and possibly derision. Any ideas from any other butch/femme parents out there? While the world is becoming more an more accepting of "two moms", "two dads", there's not much progress for butches who don't identify with the female moniker "mom". thanks all...

[Amazlilith]

Stanya,

If that is what she wants to be called then go with it. My sister and her partner are in the same space as you and their children call her "Pop" or "Daddy". Do not deny what your partner wants to be for society! And by the way, CONGRATS!!! May you have a wonderful easy pregnancy.

[robynberkley]

CONGRATS Stanya and welcome...my girlfriend thinks of herself as "paternal" as well but since my kids are from a previous relationship with a man, calling her "dad" wouldn't work...Jane or Janie is fine by us.

Perhaps calling your partner "Poppy" would work...it is a "female" name but at the same time denotes the role your partner has in the relationship as "dad". People wouldn't look askance in public, if you are concerned about that (not that you should be BUT if you are), and it would perfectly reflect her role even if others didn't realize that...you would and that's all that matters!!

Good luck!

[Jentle]

Originally posted by stanya
I'm newly pregnant (seven weeks) and my partner and I are wondering what the kid will call us. We're a butch/femme couple. I'll easily be "mom" or "mama" but we think of my partner clearly as "dad." But in this gender-narrow society, we feel it might not be fair to have the kid call her "dad" because the rest of the world will repsond with confusion and possibly derision. Any ideas from any other butch/femme parents out there? While the world is becoming more an more accepting of "two moms", "two dads", there's not much progress for butches who don't identify with the female moniker "mom". thanks all...

I think that's a lot of why my partner chose "Da."

'It's Irish for "dad/parent," which most people don't know. That's why I chose it.'
(Her input.) 'Feel free to use it.'

I've always liked it... You don't here it often (around here at least) and it has the feeling of both masculinity and a certain amount of femininity as well.

It still confuses people now and then, like when Baby (then 2) and I were wandering through work once, looking for K and people kept asking her where her "mommy" was... She of course looked at them like they were insane and said, "DA." Heh.

[stanya]

Thanks for the ideas everyone... We talked w/friends the other day whose two year old calls the butch parent "dude" which we thought was really funny. She has 'my mommy' and 'my dude'... really funny.. we'll keep thinking and hopefully in 8 months will have some more ideas. Would love to keep hearing from others on the topic too.. thanks all..