So my daughter is 20 months and never meet her dad. And i don't think she ever will to she makes the move if she wants to when she is older, as sadly he never wanted her. Ive been living with my dad and have meet a wonderful man a dad of 2. ( Will move in together in time) So his kids call me by my name and my daughter has picked this up and she now calls me by my name not mum. When she wakes she calls my name to I come to her, and when she is looking for me etc. But latley she has started to call my dad dad in stead of grumpa or grumps as he would like to be called don't ask why I have no idea!, and my boyfriend is dad now too. Is she confused? Do we just let her go and she will figure it out and we will explain it to her who is who when she is a bit older and what roll they will play in her life? I just wished she called me mum!! Haha
Is my daughter confused with family relationships?
Is my daughter confused with family relationships?
Posted in:
Relationships & Marriage, Parenthood Guilt, Behaviour, Baby & Toddler
6 Replies
Just continue to model the names you'd like her to use. So if your dad should be called grandpa, call him grandpa. 'Go to grandpa'. Come to mum etc. it's a phase and it will pass.
Kids that age don't really understand 'family relationships' they just know that you are important. It's not until they get a bit older and realise that grandpa is mums dad etc.
I remember when my nephew realised that his mum and I shared a mum. His tantrum was hilarious!
I wouldn't be too worried. They are little parrots at that age, they learn by observation, so she's just observing others using your name or perhaps heard you call her grumpa Dad (pretty clever really) and copying. They don't mean it in a hurtful way.
She'll understand these social cues in time.
Yes normal, she will figure it out, you can correct her and tell her what she calls each person.
My daughter used to call me by my first name. She grew out of it when I started ignoring her. Her brothers always use my name so it wasn't that it was because their dad calls me by my first name and so does my oH, she used to call me babe too ??
It's just a phase. Just get everyone to speak in 3rd person for a bit and she'll soon get used to it. She's 20montjs old and likely to get confused by the situation.
No shes not confused. This is the only family dynamic she knows. Its totally normal to her! She calls your dad dad because you do. Call him gramps and she will too eventually. And she calls you by your name and your boyfriend dad because thats what the other kids call you guys. They are such little parrots at that age! My son calls my partner (his step dad) by his name so when my partner and i had a baby, our baby copied his big brother and called him by his name too. He still does sometimes haha.
Does it hurt to just be mum or dad to all kids, regardless of biology? And of course any grandies are the same? You all refer to your dad as his preferred name of pop, grumps, or whatever?