How do I get my 3.5 year old to stop calling me mum?

[whistlers]

Started a couple of days ago and it's constant.

I would like to be called mummy again. Mum sounds dreadful.

In a few years time you'll be clamouring for mum, my 11 and 13 year old laugh when I suggest they call me mum instead of mammy!!

17 and 14 year old still using mummy. Doubt they’ll stop now

I'm absolutely ok with him calling me mum when he's even a little bit older! Just not yet!

He's not even at school yet

Hard luck. You are mum. Do you want him calling you mummy in his teens?

lol

I'd wager that approximately 99% of children make the change from mummy to mum by about 5.

Yes he's only 3 but surely you realise that it's a totally normal thing for him to do and you can't have been expecting him to keep calling you mummy forever.

At least he's not calling you mother

I think wanting to be called mummy by a young pre school child is absolutely fine. As they progress through infant/primary it changes, but with a 3.5 year old I can absolutely see why you still want to be called mummy.

Just reaffirm it's mummy every single time.

@Mybobowler it's my best theory anyway! Hard to be mad at Bluey though.

Just wait until they are teens and they call you "mother" with a condescending eyeroll thrown in for food measure 🙄

Wow people are being harsh. I dread the day when my little one stops calling me "mummy". It's nothing to do with it sounding "posh" or anything like that, it's because it's a sign of her still being little, still being my tiny wee pal. Once she graduates to "mum" I will feel like it's the end of an era!

My 3 year old has also started calling me 'mum' and I hate it! DH thinks it's hilarious (he still gets 'daddy') My 5 year old still calls me 'mummy' so no idea where the little one gets it from!

Yeah it's Bluey. My 3 year old does it almost all the time now, and now his little brother is copying him 🤦. I don't mind it at all, just makes me think they are growing up too quick. Thought I had a few more years of mummy!

@cookiecreampie

Hard luck. You are mum. Do you want him calling you mummy in his teens?

Nope I didn't ever say that

@Bopahula

I think wanting to be called mummy by a young pre school child is absolutely fine. As they progress through infant/primary it changes, but with a 3.5 year old I can absolutely see why you still want to be called mummy.

Just reaffirm it's mummy every single time.

Thank you! I didn't expect a pile on!

Never mind

I have no idea which my children call me. I just know they say it all the time and I blank it out a lot

@Thenosleepclub

Yeah it's Bluey. My 3 year old does it almost all the time now, and now his little brother is copying him 🤦. I don't mind it at all, just makes me think they are growing up too quick. Thought I had a few more years of mummy!

Mine hasn't ever seen it, I think it's from nursery!

It doesn't matter in the grand scheme but I definitely prefer mummy for the next 1.5 years at least

At 3 years old that’s harsh! I’m sure I was called mummy till primary school, maybe even reception. I’d just keep saying “mummy’s making you breakfast right now”, “mummy this”, “mummy that”.

I have the opposite problem. DD16 still often calls me Mummy (though also Mum sometimes) but worse is that so does DH - understandable when in earshot of DC when they were little, and ok if referring to me when talking to DC but I refuse to answer if he calls me using Mummy. But he still keeps doing it.

I was really sad the first time mum happened. It didn't happen often though and one of them still calls me mummy at almost 16.

I do understand but not sure what you can do about it!

@WeAllHaveWings. I thought it was just mine that did that....Motherrrrr!!!

I also get called ma'ma (rhymes with car/jar) from my other teen

In terms of picking your battles - this is not the one I'd pick.

I can honestly say I have no idea when my DC stopped calling me mummy. They are only 9 and 7 now as well so hardly old.

Ha! my kids went through a phase of calling us by our first names which was comical...but stopped b/c other kids thought it was funny too.

My impressions are that 'mummy' past about 6 or so is 'posh', very posh by teenagernood, and excruciatingly so from adults.

But not sure Id be trying to correct a 3 year old. Any more than I try to stop my 20 year old calling me mummy 🙄

And will ‘Mum’ magically sound less dreadful to your ears once your child has reached the age at which you think it’s appropriate to switch?