Did you grow up calling your parents by their first names?

[annaak]

I had a friend in primary school whose family did this - her Mum and Dad were always Sarah and Rick to their kids. My Mum used to hate it, she thought it was really affected. It really bothered her for some reason!

They weren’t especially hippy people, just quite relaxed middle class artsy parents (lots of music lessons and drama classes etc. in their house). I always quite liked the vibe of it and wondered if I would do the same with my own kids one day.

Anyway, got me wondering did any of you grow up doing this, or are any of you bringing up your children this way? Did you/do you find people are weird about it?

It would never have entered my head to do this.
I would hate it if my children tried it. But my DH nephew sometimes calls his parents by their first names.

No! Would find that so weird! I even call my aunties and uncles “auntie so and so” and “uncle blah blah” - feels rude to just use their names with no prefix, despite me being in my 40s!

Yes, still do. But I would hate it if my dc did it to me!

@Summerof2024 oh that’s so interesting - why would you hate if your kids did it out of interest? And who started it with your parents - did it come from them or you?

Oh I HATE being called Aunty Anna, I always make my nieces and nephews call me just Anna. I find Aunty so OTT for some reason!

I don't know any children who call their parents by their first names except those referring to step parents or guardians so I'd presume any child doing this was doing so because those people weren't mum and dad.

No. My stepkids call me by my first name my son doesn't. Being called mum is special

I have always called my parents by their first name. Apparently they weren’t comfortable calling each other Mummy and Daddy - they said it felt really affected - so they just stuck with their names and that’s what I learned.

But then when I started nursery I came out crying after the first day because everyone else had a Mummy and I didn’t! 😂

So DP and I have taught DS to use Mummy and Daddy, but if he wants to use my name instead in the future I won’t mind.

When I was a teenager, I went through a phase of calling my dad by his first name because I thought it sounded funny. My mum and brother hated it. My dad wasn't bothered at all. Didn't last for long.
He's been gone 8 years now, and I do miss him. Thanks for bringing back a funny memory. He was such a lovely man.

My DH and his siblings always called their parents by their first names. I find it really odd! To their grandchildren they are now known as Granny Caroline and Rob.

I'm the opposite I love being Auntie Redglitter. My nieces are adult now but wouldn't think of calling me by first name & I'm certainly not to suggest it

I would hate my kids to call me by mummy first name, it feels cold and takes away the special name you afford your children to call you.

One of them. No idea why, it just happened and didn't seem odd to us although sometimes friends commented on it. They were definitely both our real parents. I was born in the early 70s.

The parent we addressed by name also addressed one parent by name, but we used the usual 'grand' name. That was going back to the 1940s!

its wierd isnt it? But my kids have called us by our first names for years and i have no idea why. It was just something they started doing. My youngest does call me mama occasionally when hes thanking me for somethin, but if he asks me something he will address me by my first name. Neither can explain why.

I didn't call my parents by their first names, but my own kids used to call my husband (their dad) by his first name, I think because they heard me saying his name such a lot.

My mum preferred to be called by her first name. My dad preferred Dad.

My kids all call me Mum but call their dad by his first name. No idea why. One started and the others followed.

Neither of us is very bothered either way.

Sometimes called my parents by their name and a lot when I was speaking of them. My daughter calls me by my first name when she is mad at me .She knows I don't like it. My son never does .

No. They were Mum & Dad. I haven't come across anyone who calls their parents by their first names either, but then I've also not known many artsy/hippy/relaxed/middle class parents. I don't like it, but I suspect that's just because it's not what I'm used to hearing, there's nothing inherently wrong with it. So it's really up to you, but I suspect most people will think it a bit odd and your kids will always get questions about it.

Yup, always called them by their names, at least from age 7, & don't really remember further back.

Didn't bother them (also wouldn't have bothered them if I'd have said Mum/Dad), but did bother extended family and acquaintances and a bunch of other people who it has nothing to do with.

Have several friends who also do/did.

My DS calls me and his dad by our first names. He's 11 now and has never called my mummy. It makes me sad. He's autistic though and has never been able to get his head around why he wouldn't use my name.

No, I would hate it if they did.

The only time we’ve discussed it was when DS did an internship at my office, I told him he didn’t need to call me mum in the office and my name was fine. He said don’t be silly, everyone knows your my mum and it’s really disrespectful to call you by your name.

My stepchild calls me by my ne so my children occasionally did it over the years when they were little. I didnt massively care but used to say "thats mum or The Governor to you" but not make a fuss and they stopped eventually. I don't think it would have bothered me if they carried on really but it did get weird looks when me eldest at four was "running" a raxe at sports day yelling "Petulant, petulant, look"... Maybe the looks were because he was losing by miles 😂

My cousin used to call her mum Bev (short for her name, Beverly) I think it started as a teen. My cousin is lovely and really unpretentious but I couldn't get over it when I was a, child! It, seemed slightly shocking to me at the time!

You gotta be joking! This was the 1950s mother and father
My last nextdoor neighbours,kids of 4 and 5, called their parents by their Christian names,heard dad say once" also known as dad".

Sometimes call my mum by her first name , not sure why, have done since being a teen