# How do you address your mother & father? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 2, 2018, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-address-your-mother-father/815328 "2018-06-02T19:27:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-address-your-mother-father/815328/1 "2018-06-02T19:27:12Z")
I can’t think of a simpler way to pose this question, though I will add that I don’t care whether you are talking about biological, adoptive, or step-parents. If the way you address them has changed over time and you feel like discussing that, please do. But feel no obligation. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-address-your-mother-father/815328/2 "2018-06-02T19:31:03Z")
When they were alive, it was “Mom” and Dad." ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-address-your-mother-father/815328/3 "2018-06-02T19:55:16Z")
In casual conversation, “Mom” and “Dad.” But when the occasion calls for something more endearing, I’ll generally fall back on “Momma Bear” and “Poppa Bear.” ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-address-your-mother-father/815328/4 "2018-06-02T19:59:40Z")
Mom and Dad. When talking to my dad about my mom “mommie”. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-address-your-mother-father/815328/5 "2018-06-02T20:28:43Z")
“Mama” and “Tata,” the Polish version of “Mom” and “Dad” I learned as a kid. Although now that I have two kids, I sometimes refer to them by a Polish version of “Granny” and “Grandpa” (“Babcia” [BOP-cha] and “Dziadziu” [JAH-jew].) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-address-your-mother-father/815328/6 "2018-06-02T20:33:05Z")
Mom and Dad. Dad doesn’t respond much since he passed away. Mom won’t stop responding. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-address-your-mother-father/815328/7 "2018-06-02T20:49:46Z")
When I was little, it was Mommy and Daddy. Somewhere in my middle school years, it became Mom and Dad. My mom’s nickname is Chick, and sometimes I have to call her that to get her attention. Sadly, Dad died 16 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-address-your-mother-father/815328/8 "2018-06-02T20:53:05Z")
Another vote for Mom and Dad. I notice everyone is putting the mother first. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-address-your-mother-father/815328/9 "2018-06-02T20:55:09Z")
My mama was always mama. Spelled just like that. That’s how I wanted to be addressed by my girls and as silly as it sounds I actually got a little upset when my oldest called me “mom” once. It wasn’t right. I’m not “Mom” I’m “Mama”! I don’t really remember what I called my father. I didn’t see him most of my life and I’m glad for it. I was very young and he was abusive. I like to learn what people call grandparents too. I had a Nanny and Pawpaw and a Momsi and Popsi. I was the youngest so it’s not something I came up with. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-address-your-mother-father/815328/10 "2018-06-02T21:12:37Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Another vote for Mom and Dad. > > I notice everyone is putting the mother first. I can’t recall ever hearing “Dad and Mom”. Doesn’t even sound right out loud. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-address-your-mother-father/815328/11 "2018-06-02T21:19:14Z")
Mom and Dad. > [@TriPolar](#): > > I can’t recall ever hearing “Dad and Mom”. Doesn’t even sound right out loud. Yeah. It may just be that “Mom and Dad” is easier to say. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-address-your-mother-father/815328/12 "2018-06-02T21:30:03Z")
My Mother died when I was young, I called her Mommy. My Daddy was, is and always will be Daddy. He died a few years ago. I miss that man everyday. I am just now coming out of my stages of grief. It’s not been easy. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-address-your-mother-father/815328/13 "2018-06-02T21:56:35Z")
When young I’m sure I called them Mommy and Daddy. I don’t recall, but that’s what my younger siblings did. When older it was Mom and Dad until Dad died. On occasion I now call my mother by her first name to get a response. SHe’s 96. My grandparents were Mommo and Poppo. The first was based on a jazz song “Oh Mommo, Mommo, Mommo, where were you last night …” Poppo was by analogy. I never knew my other set of grandparents who died before I was born. ---
**Author:** ![Newtosite](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/newtosite/32/8623_2.png) [@Newtosite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Newtosite)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-address-your-mother-father/815328/14 "2018-06-02T22:28:29Z")
Mother and Daddy. ---
**Author:** ![Majestic\_Lee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Majestic\_Lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Majestic_Lee)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-address-your-mother-father/815328/15 "2018-06-02T22:31:20Z")
Mum and Dad ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-address-your-mother-father/815328/16 "2018-06-02T23:03:24Z")
“Mom and Dad,” although I rarely address either of them and usually just start talking. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-address-your-mother-father/815328/17 "2018-06-02T23:37:19Z")
By their first names. I get most people regard that as pretty fucking weird, but I and my step-siblings were just raised that way. The 60’s counter-culture may have played a small role :). ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-address-your-mother-father/815328/18 "2018-06-02T23:48:45Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > When they were alive, it was “Mom” and Dad." +1 ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2018, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-address-your-mother-father/815328/19 "2018-06-03T00:02:37Z")
Gramma and Grampa, since that is what they are called by almost everybody else visiting their house. When I was a small child, Mum and Daddy. ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2018, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-address-your-mother-father/815328/20 "2018-06-03T00:09:46Z")
His and Her Highness, purveyors and providers of all that is good and kind! Praise be to His and Her Highness!😛 Ma and Dad. Oddly, Mom when speaking about her to others and always Dad, never father in the same circumstances. I called by parental grandfather “O ji ji” which I believe is an honorific way of saying “ji ji” (grandfather) and my maternal grandfather “O ji san” (grandfather) All older women old enough to my grandmother were called “ba ba(n)” which is supposed to be just “ba ba” but twisted my our pidgin Japanese dialect. Made for some confusing conversations when they were all in the same room! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-address-your-mother-father/815328.md?page=2)