Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Step-parenting

Connect with other Mumsnetters here for step-parenting advice and support.

dsd calling me mummy

5 replies

proudmummywife · 18/02/2015 14:30

Hi we have my husband's daughter two nights a week few weeks back she didn't want to come we think it is because I was working so we started taking her on my days off. I have two of my own dc. Dsd is 3.5 my ds is 7 and ds 1 my husband and I had together. Dsd keeps calling me mummy and I correct her telling her I'm her (my name) and I love you all. And she gets hurt and says no your my mummy too. I been in her life since she was 4 weeks old (her parents were a one night stand). How do I handle this? I Love her and I treat all three children the same do you think she feels like an outsider?

OP posts:
chocoraisin · 18/02/2015 15:32

I would keep doing what you are doing. I have 2DC and a DSS and DSD. All are young. All of them occasionally try out 'mummy' on for size or 'daddy' for the person who is their stepparent. I put it down to age, they will grow out of it. Ultimately I would be distraught if my DS's called their stepmother 'mummy' and it's no reflection on whether she loves them or not. She's not their mummy, I am. I am not my SDC's mummy. I'm their 'choco'. End of story.

It might feel like you're upsetting her now, but I would expect in later life she will appreciate that you've always been loving, and respectful of her relationship with her mother too.

wheresthelight · 18/02/2015 21:48

could you compromise and bring mummy your name maybe? she is obviously struggling with understanding why the other 2 call you mummy and she has to call you something else. if you aren't comfy with that could you be something similar like madre which is Spanish for mum maybe?

if your dh and her mum have a good relationship do you think he could discuss it with her and see how she would like it handled?

cappy123 · 19/02/2015 09:25

Follow your instinct to keep correcting her, she's young and will learn. I sometimes refer to my step dad as dad, but he knows I also call my birth dad dad. But I didn't start doing it till my 40s! My husband didn't know his dad and his step dad came into his life at 3 years old. He remembers his mum saying "you can call him dad now" and he really resented it, especially because his step dad was violent. So unless it was a really special situation and you've consulted both parents, keep doing what you're doing.

AKP79 · 19/02/2015 12:43

My husband (not the father of my child) is referred to as Daddy-Simon. He's been in my son's life from a couple of months old. It was something a relative started saying and DS picked up on it. We did correct him, but because of his age at the time we found that that actually drew more attention to it and made him do it more to get a reaction, so we just ignored it. He then started interchanging it mainly saying Simon and sometimes Daddy-Simon, but inevitably when he said it in front of my ex one day he hit the roof. I totally understood his upset and anger, but we didn't encourage it in any way and as he was only using it on occasion assumed he would grow out of it. However, after the scene my ex caused my ex then went on to come up with a mean chant for my DS correcting his use of Daddy-Simon, which my DS would come home and repeat. My response now when DS comes home chanting (it's been going on for a year) is to say 'calling him Simon is fine and calling him Daddy-Simon is ok. We are happy for you to say what you would like.' I'm not sure if that is the right thing, it feels right and it instantly settles my DS and he immediately drops it and moves on to something else.

When I discussed the chants with his dad I did explain that I understood his hurt, but that I felt the chants were wrong. I also said that as he is living with 3 other children and their mother, that I wouldn't be surprised if DS started picking up on them calling her mummy and maybe they could have a similar set up their side if that's what DS chooses to do (I cannot stand this woman for a whole long list of reasons, but my thoughts are it's a tough situation for children to deal with anyway and sometimes you've got to let them find their feet in the way that is most comfortable for them).

I firmly believe the chants have been more damaging than using the name Daddy-Simon. My son has a perfect understanding of Daddy, Mummy and Simon/Daddy-Simon. If someone says something about Simon being his Daddy he instantly corrects them and says where his Daddy lives and that Simon is his Daddy-Simon. However, the chants and anger from his dad is upsetting him. He now regularly asks me (in front of his dad) to explain what I say about Daddy-Simon, which I do.

So, in conclusion, if you've been such a big part of DSD's life, then maybe you can come up with a more familiar term for you than your name. Maybe Mama-(insert your name) or something like that? Are you in a position to discuss it with the ex? Also you could talk about it with DSD. Why are you calling me mummy? - you wont get a comprehensive answer, but you might get an insight and there's nothing wrong with involving them and asking questions, even at 3. Just my experiences and opinion, I'm not saying it's the right one...!

proudmummywife · 19/02/2015 13:45

When we left her home when she was 1 near 2 she said bye bye mummy to me and this upset her mum I had to explain it was slip of tongue I correct her if she calls me mum. Last year I'd left her home few times and she cried not wanting to be handed to her mum and this upset her mum she text my husband she was heart broken . She also cried when husband left her home but it hurt her mum more when she cried for me so I said I wouldn't leave her home and haven't since as its not a good feeling. So I don't think I would discuss this with sd mum. I love sd so I'm not going to try detach myself from her. Il just keep correcting her telling her I'm her (name) and she my we honey .

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread