18 month old talking well but won't say "mummy"

[cowbiscuits]

Or "Mama, Mum, Mumum" etc

He started saying his first words at about 10-11 months, he's got a great vocabulary, is learning new things all the time and copies lots of words and noises.

I've no concerns about his hearing. He's a sociable little boy and we have a very close bond, he's very affectionate to me and often comes to me for hugs, and kisses me a lot. If someone hands him something and says "give it to Mummy" he will, or if they say "where's mummy" he points to me, so he knows who "Mummy" is.

He says "daddy" clear as a bell and has done since he was about 12 months. He babbles about daddy. Recently if he wakes in the night he'll call out "Daddy!" from his cot, but he doesn't want DH he wants me.

He can make the noise ok because funnily enough he calls bananas "mama" but he doesn't say much else with a M sound. I thought it was supposed to be easy.

Is this weird? I'm not concerned about it exactly, but it just seems really strange. Anyone else had this?

[Poppins27]

My dd turned 2 recently and it was only then she started calling me 'Mummy'. Until then she knew I was mummy, for example if someone asked her where her mummy was, but she insisted on calling me 'Baby'?!?

[BlueChampagne]

18 months is quite early. Dad often comes before Mum as it's an easier sound to make, apparently.

[RunningGuerita]

Yup. With DD1 currently 3.5, she only really started saying mummy at about age 2. With DD2 (just turning 2), she only started calling me mama fairly recently as well.

It's dead infuriating when your child can say other really vital words like "meerkat" and "otter" but won't say mama!

It will happen. I have a theory that it's just because they don't need to say it. Whether you're a SAHM or a working mum, you're probably very in tune with your child and they don't need to bother to say your name. That makes me feel better thinking about it like that :-)

[schmalex]

We were both dadda for quite a while!

[Auntierosemary]

Same here! 16 month old only says words that start with d. She can say mama but v rarely does, usually she doesn't use any word to refer to me! I'm not at all concerned, tho it is annoying that she can and does say daddy...

[MisForMumNotMaid]

This made me smile. I was Daddy till well passed 2. In the middle of the night i'd still be happy if it was only Daddy she'd shout.

She deffinately understood I'm mummy. Recently she's been watching aristocats and she's trying out 'Mum- a'

[neontetra]

My dd was the same. Fairly good vocabulary, really, but didn't start saying "mummy" or any of its variants till about 18 months. Now two and says it all the time. She also didn't say "granny" until recently (her granny looks after her one day a week), but was saying "grandad" for ages, yet surely that is a harder word? I suspect her of sexism.

[cowbiscuits]

Yes. He has two daddies- the one with the boobs and the big hairy one. Grandma is Dan-dah. The letter D are definitely easier.

It's just funny how he has so many other words.

This time next year I'll be fondly remembering the days before he started going "mummy mummy mummy mummy" all the time

[sleepyhead]

Ds1 was around this age when he said mummy for the first time. Maybe about 20 months or a bit older?

It was caused by him getting a wee fright when a friend's dog bounced up to him. He said "mummy!" and came running for me.

He then didn't stop saying "Mummy I want this" and "mummy do it" and "Mummeeeeeeee!" for the next several years....

[kaffkooks]

Same thing with my 16 month old. I think Dada is easier to say and he hears it more often as I talk about Daddy but no one talks about mummy. I think to DS I am just "woman who provides things and is around most of the time" so I don't need a name!

[Jbck]

DD1 called me Dapa till she was 2, great vocab very clear speaker too. First time she did it I didn't realise it was my child shouting, in an airport and I was talking to family in another queue and just ignored the little girl shouting Mummy. My aunt pointed out it was DD

It'll come. When you've heard it fifty times in an hour you'll be tearing your hair out.

[naty1]

We had dada at about 5m and mama soon after to correct parent. Then no was very popular but funnily it has taken until about 19-20m to get yes (despite having yeah early on)
They say when they need, like the sound of.
I think dada is sooner often because we talk about them -dadas at work etc
Get dad to say wheres mummy?

[NinjaLeprechaun]

My daughter called both her parents by our first names at that age. It really annoyed her dad, but I thought it was funny. She called herself 'the baby' - maybe saying 'Megan' was too difficult.