Time for another Nathan rant that I just need to get off my chest! My child calls me mommy all day long. Has this ever happened to you? Nanette will call me mommy throughout the day and night. And while I don’t think I have an especially womanish figure (post-natal pounds aside), it kinda bugs me. Even Ryan Reynolds knows how I feel.
I know, in the grand scheme of child-rearing, it is not a big one and I am sure she will grow out of it, but if I am being honest, it does bring up some feelings of insecurity.
Five possible reasons why my child thinks I’m her “mom”.
Mommy, mommy, everywhere.
I spoke to some other single parents and they acknowledged that this has happened to them. Either dad will be called mom or vice versa. So, what gives? Are all children crisscrossed? Or are they all playing mind games with us? This parenting exchange helped me cool down…a bit.
It’s a sore spot since she doesn’t have a mom in her daily life and I worry that she is calling out for something that she wants or needs.
TV to blame
It could just be all Peppa Pigs’ fault. That rascal hog has been brainwashing my baby with images of a mommy and daddy piglet household. Maybe she just wants Peppa pig’s mom not and not any run of the mill mother.
Dayhomes
When Nanette attends day home, other children will routinely scream and cry out for their mothers. Could she just be translating “Mommy” into “Loving person who feeds me, cuddles me and looks after me”?
Folks like this
I’ve scoured the Internet for resources to reassure me that what I’ve been doing is ok when I stumbled upon the lovely people at LifeNews.com, according to whom I should have just left Nanette with her surrogate, instead of destroying her life. I’m sorry Nanette, but if the delightful people at LifeNews predictions come to pass, you’re apparently going to need a lot of therapy in the future. Note to self: start a reserve fund for eventual psychotherapy costs.
Mah vs Dah
Or could it simply be that “Muh” is easier for a toddler to say than “Duh”.
I know, I know, I should take a deep breath and not stress out so much. At least she is speaking, right? I just don’t want to be considered doing anything wrong, and as a single father, this adds to the stress. At times I feel I need to represent my solo parents out there as the “model father”. But, you know what, I am a good dad, not perfect, but I love my child and will be there for her whether she calls me “daddy”, “mommy”, or “Hey you with the wallet, over here”.
