Nicknames January 7, 2007
Posted by TimTheFoolMan in Family, identity, Love, Parenting/Children.trackback
He started calling me “Poster Boy” because of my push towards getting back in shape in the last five or six years. When I would make sure there was a protein in each meal to build around, something would come out like “Poster Boy has to make sure he keeps the machine fed… right?”
About the same time, he started calling me “Tim,” and he used it the way he used “Poster Boy.” This took some getting used to, and there were several long talks concerning this, making sure that it wasn’t disrespectfully used.
Sometimes, he still calls me “Dad.” In all honesty, I don’t care what he calls me, as long as the conversation continues.
A Fool and his Words are Soon Parted 
My son always calls me Mom. My daughter varies among Mom, Mother, Mama, and Madre, with numerous variations in pronunciation and syllabic stress. They can call me whatever they want – as long as they call me!
My daughter calls me Mama, which is a good transition from Mommy to the dreaded Mom. I dread being called Mom because it will signify another step away from childhood to young adulthood–something I, fortunately, won’t have to face for a little bit longer. There’s hope that Mama will stick, since the cousins my daughter adores all call my sister Mama (even the almost-16-year-old).
Interestingly, I call my mom everything from Mom and Mommy (when we’re alone) to Jackie (when I’m around other adults). Sometimes it’s just easier to get her attention when I use her first name.
My son sometimes adopts a Simpsons voice to address me as Old Man e.g. “Stay out of this, Old Man.” But always ironically and appropriately and with a smile.
You’re right! As long as they’re talking to us, I think we’ll answer to any name bestowed without malice. My boys still call me “Mom”, even in front of friends. Some of the friends call me “Mom”, too. Now that’s weird!