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Anyone else find this creepy?!

90 replies

LoLo1304 · 15/12/2021 12:53

So I’m a single parent, my sister looked after my 19 month old daughter for a few hours one afternoon she loves playing with her two kids. Anyway when she brought her back she was repeatedly saying ‘mama’ when she dropped her off, she has said it before but not often at all. I said why is she all off sudden repeatedly saying mama? she states she kept saying where’s mama, let’s take you home to mama etc so I didn’t think much off it. However, that night she also kept saying daddy, so I was quite pissed off as obviously she doesn’t have a daddy at home. I mentioned to her the next day and she said ‘oh she was calling B (her partner) daddy I was like what, she said yeah must off picked it up off the kids. I said to her I’m very creeped out she has come home from a few hour play at your house calling you mama and .. daddy. I said she’s never picked it up off the kids before and we’ve spent all day there. I know how DD picks up words is by repeatedly saying them words. She does call me mama too sometimes not often. But everytime we see my sister now she calls her mama. My sister actually said to me why you getting so worked up over it all kids call other people mama. I said no I’m creeped out over the fact you’ve purposefully taught her that, she’s too young to understand what the word mama means but she associates that word with her because she has repeatedly said it to her that day? Does anyone else find this weird or just me? My sister starts saying she’s not taught her anything blah blah.

But I’m due to start work after Xmas, the only help I’ve got is my sister and I will need her to pick her up from nursery one day and have her a few hours one day a week till I come home from work. But now after this strange episode, I really don’t want her to have her.

OP posts:
GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat · 15/12/2021 12:56

I think you're reading way too much in to this. I'm a childminder and children call me mummy all the time. I gently correct them but it's no big deal and they soon stop when they realise.

Greenfields124 · 15/12/2021 12:56

No I don't think it's creepy.
Sounds like she has just copied your sisters kids.

ABCeasyasdohrayme · 15/12/2021 12:57

I think you're over reacting.

I also think if you're getting this stressed about your dd picking up things from your sisters dc then you'll be far better off getting paid childcare.

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TurnUpTurnip · 15/12/2021 12:57

You’re Over thinking it

grapewine · 15/12/2021 12:59

She picked it up from the other children. It'll wear off. You're overreacting massively.

LoLo1304 · 15/12/2021 12:59

@Greenfields124 @GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat but I’ve spent so so much time there with them all and she’s never ever said it before just found it strange the day I leave her for a few hours, she comes home saying it. One off her children doesn’t speak he’s non verbal, so it’s only one off them at 3 yr olds and she’s never copied it off her before.

OP posts:
minipie · 15/12/2021 12:59

I think it’s quite likely your dd is just copying her cousins.

Why would your sister have taught your DD to call her and her OH mama and daddy? Does she have form for doing that kind of thing?

neverornow · 15/12/2021 13:00

Not creepy at all. She's only repeating what she has heard at your sisters.
My son often gets confused and calls me Daddy and also often calls his actual daddy (my DH) by his first name.

Practicebeingpatient · 15/12/2021 13:05

I think you are overreacting. All children all over the world make the sounds mama, dada and papa before progressing to other noises. Children don't need to be taught to say those things, it happens naturally. Thats why those sounds are the names for parents in so many languages. If childrens natural first babies were Too-too or ess-ess then those sounds would have become the words we use for parents.

Unless there is a massive back story here I don't think you need to worry or change your plans. If there is a back story then even then I don't think it will make much. Even if your sister does have a creepy underlying history of trying to muscle in and steal precious things from you she isn't going to be able to warp your child's mind in a few hours once a week. Your bond will be too strong for that. I

Looking after other peoples children is a huge responsibility. Don't make it harder for your sister by trying to micromanage what she does and says when you aren't around.

Albgo · 15/12/2021 13:08

My little boy calls his aunt mummy too. I don't think she taught him to, it's just a sign he loves her.
If I'm honest I'd prefer if he didn't, but I just take it as a sign that he's happy there with her and am thankful for it.

Thegreencup · 15/12/2021 13:09

You're over reacting.

What she has said and done before doesn't matter. Kids are quick learners and once they learn something they run with it very quickly. I remember both my kids going through a stage around the same age where every word or sentence was "dadadadadada" or "dada dada dada dada". It's apparently the first sound they learn.

You're sister isn't trying to replace you.

MaryAndGerryLivingInDerry · 15/12/2021 13:09

No it isn’t creepy at all. Your daughter heard her cousins calling their parents mummy and daddy- your DD doesn’t realise those aren’t their names And are only to be used by their children. She is 19 months old. She’s just copying what she hears.

Highlanders372 · 15/12/2021 13:10

What do you think is going on? Your sister wants your DD to think of her as mama and her partner as her daddy? Why would she do that?

MaryAndGerryLivingInDerry · 15/12/2021 13:11

For example my aunt has 4 DC. 3 with her first husband and 1 with her second. The older DC called their step father by his name- Bob and when the smallest DC was learning to talk she thought that’s what she was meant to call her dad. They corrected her every time but as she was always hearing her siblings call him Bob it was naturally what she thought of him as.

Quornflakegirl · 15/12/2021 13:14

Not at all, I would be delighted that my child felt safe and secure with my sister and calling her mama wouldn’t bother me in the slightest.

sillysmiles · 15/12/2021 13:15

My niece and nephew went through a phase for calling their mother Mam and their childminder/aunt Mammy.

You are being unreasonable and paranoid. There's nothing creepy in it.

LoLo1304 · 15/12/2021 13:17

My argument is, I spent 24/7 with my DD I’ve hardly ever left her, I have spent so much time with up at my sisters and she has never ever picked up on it before. One off her children is non verbal. My daughter does know a few words but they’ve been taught as if repeatedly said to her until she says it back. She has never just copied words just like that. My sister did say she was repeatedly saying mama to her like where’s mama etc she has said she was saying that, and then calling her partner daddy. Again someone must have repeatedly off said it to her for her to repeat. Please bare in mind I spend all day every day with her I know how she picks up things.

OP posts:
MaryAndGerryLivingInDerry · 15/12/2021 13:19

My sister did say she was repeatedly saying mama to her like where’s mama etc she has said she was saying that, and then calling her partner daddy. Again someone must have repeatedly off said it to her for her to repeat.

Well yes, your sister did. You’ve just said that. It’s no mystery.

Redannie118 · 15/12/2021 13:21

My son is an early years practicioner and works with 0-3 year olds. Loads of them call him daddy. He says to them it just a term for someone who looks after them and is male. Nothing else meant by it.

Starcaller · 15/12/2021 13:23

If you spend 24/7 with your DD then she's hardly going to grow up thinking someone else is her mother.

DD went through a phase when she was that age of calling any man 'dada', which made for some amusing trips to the shop Grin

Level75 · 15/12/2021 13:25

OP are you actually going to listen to the responses? You asked is it creepy. Everyone is saying 'no'. Can you accept that?

MeltedButter · 15/12/2021 13:26

"Again someone must have repeatedly off said it to her for her to repeat"

Not true at all. Babies/ toddlers absorb all the words they hear and then when they are ready they say it. It is not a reflection of what she's heard that day.

Crocky · 15/12/2021 13:26

Never picked it up before - she’s a baby and learning new skills every day.

smilingthroughgrittedteeth · 15/12/2021 13:27

Im a nanny when my son was little he used to come to work with me at about 16mths he started calling me by my first name as thats what he was hearing my charges call me. Ive also had kids call me mummy. Ive never encouraged them i just correct them but it happens, your overthinking this and being a bit overdramatic in saying its creepy.

FreeBritnee · 15/12/2021 13:28

What do you think has gone on?

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