To be annoyed that one of my colleagues addresses me as 'Mummy' in the office?

[perrinelli]

I am 7 mos pregnant with DC2. A (female, older) colleague has taken to calling me Mummy in the office whenever she talks to me. AIBU to find this really annoying and a bit weird? Should I ask her to stop or just get over it and think I'll be out of there in a month. I'm not naturally v confrontational and she is a much more established member of staff than me.

Perhaps I was reading too much into the complaint - I apologise if so. IME, when people object to a nickname they usually think it's an attempt to poke fun at them. Also odd that the OP felt the need to mention that the colleague was older and female (the inference being that she was being patronising or was old enough to know better).

FWIW I'm a great believer in not confusing stupidity for malice.

If you don't like the behaviour, address it straight on (but risk relations with your work colleague), ignore it, or counter it. FWIW, call her Great Aunt Hilda or Granny and she will get the message PDQ.

That would hack me right off.

A non-confrontational approach might be to grimace and say, 'Oh don't, you're making me feel old!' or 'Gosh don't, it's bad enough my oldest is 7 already!' or whatever.

Then if she persists say, 'Honestly, I get enough of Mummy at home!'

Those are office-banter-y type statements, so she can't take offence, but if you've said twice you don't like it and she persists further you then have the social right, iyswim, to say, 'Seriously. Stop.'

Just started my Maternity Leave today.
That happened to me, drove me up the wall "Hello Mum" "How's Mummy today then?" etc - I'd cringe every time I heard it - maybe I should have said something but it was meant with the best of intentions and so I wouldn't have been able to.

Extremely rude and you shouldn't have to put up with it.

I'm a solicitor and one of the partners in my law firm said it to me when I was heavily pregnant. I felt I couldn't say anything because he was a partner but I was fuming. About a week after he said it someone else said it to me too and I told them to stop it and please call me Honeybee or nothing at all! To be fair, he did apologise.

It's unacceptable. Tell her so....she might actually respect you for standing up for yourself.

Shudder I'd hate it.

I would just ask her politely not to call me that.

I get fucked off when people call me that now and DD is nearly 3. She calls me mummy, but I'm rather fond of my given name and appreciate it's use when I am out and about. I have an identity, I have many roles, Mummy is just one of them.

Say - "will you give over calling me mummy!"

Thanks for all the comments - I mentioned she was female & older because I think if it was a male colleague it would be creepy, and I think most people are correctly imagining the tone and context - she is a Granny quite a few times over (known as Nan I think) and I know she doesn't mean anything by it but am glad to know that others agree it is annoying/weird/inappropriate! She has also said 'don't get fat, Mummy!' when i have been reaching fot a chocolate another colleague brought back!

I have appreciated the suggestions on how to broach it and am most likely to go for the humorous approach - Tho putting her on the naughty step is tempting I'll perhaps start calling her Nan or saying I get enough of it at home.

Roll on maternity leave! ( not returning to this office as am on secondment)

I think you should politely ask her to stop. It is annoying.

I would just say "You sound like a right weirdo callimg me that"

But then I am a little blunt.

Yes - you have do it with humour with a character like that.

Stick her on the naughty step until she stops it

I hate it when people do it to me!

I second what KenDodd says, or you could spit on a tissue and wipe some imaginary dirt off her cheek :o

[cgrin]