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MUM shares how her ex-partner told their young children they should no longer call him “daddy” because they were “too old”.

The mother — who said her children were aged 10, 9 and 7½ — had come home “upset” from being at their father’s house, because they wanted to continue using the word.

“Their father had told them they were too old to refer to him as daddy and that other kids would make fun of them as they were too old,” she wrote on parenting blog, Mumsnet.

The post resulted in a debate over whether he was in the right or wrong, with some agreeing with the children’s father — saying they were too old to be using the term.

“Personally, I would say they are a bit too old for daddy and mummy,” one person wrote.

“I distinctly remember being in Y2 and a boy getting ripped into because he still called his mum ‘mummy’.

Others argued that it should be up to the child to decide when they transition from the word daddy or mummy to the shortened version.

Totally the child’s choice if you ask me.  Some adults still refer to their parents as Mummy and Daddy!

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  • How sad for him. Just leave the kids and let them decided on their own.

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  • In my opinion you’re never too old to call them daddy and mummy, mama and papa. I still do at age 55 lol.

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  • Far out, way to support your child and let them be confident in themselves. Honestly, I wonder about some parents.

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  • you’re never too old- it’s a term of endearment and affection.

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  • If he doesn’t want to be called Daddy then maybe he needs to grow up. The children are calling him that out of love. I know adults who refer to their parents as Mummy and Daddy.

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  • Hmmm… I would have thought whatever comes most naturally. They will stop using the term soon enough and clearly it has caused distress for the child/ren.

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  • Is this a repost, I am sure we have had this topic before. My opinion is that the child can decide for themselves what they want to call their parents, my son is 18 and he still calls me mama ( in his own way), I might just have a discussion with him and see what he thinks of this topic.

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  • I think you can call your parents whatever you wish. If the father is opposed to Daddy then perhaps he could as them just not to call him that.

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  • Up to the child – if he/she wants to stay calling Mummy and Daddy or wants to change to Dad and Mum then it would be OK by me.

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  • I think it is up to the children. What I can’t stand is adults referring to their parents as ‘mummy’ or ‘daddy’!
    Or, older children calling their parents by their first name

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  • Pretty sure the English still use “mummy” as adults. I refer to myself as mumma and my kids might call me mum, mummy or mumma. Your never too old. They will stop it when they want to. I had a friend who got annoyed by his girl’s calling their mum mumma. It’s kinda like, get over it!

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  • My mum is Nanny to her grandkids. It definitely sounds weird out of a 30-40 year olds mouth

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  • I agree it should absolutely be up to the child and what they’re comfortable with. If they are seemingly too old and there is concern about embarrassment, surely it can be discussed that you can call Mummy or Daddy at home and not out as an alternative/option.

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  • There should be no age limit on calling a parent mummy or daddy and too bad if no one else likes it!

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  • Why do adults always try to control kids, they should be allowed to call their parents whatever they like as long as it is nice. My teenager calls me mama, just what he started as a toddler and kept it up. It is his choice, although I have not suggested a change, I might in the future but still let him decide.

    Reply

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