# Poll: What do you call your parents? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 4, 2006, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-do-you-call-your-parents/355412 "2006-05-04T17:08:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-do-you-call-your-parents/355412/41 "2006-05-04T22:03:33Z")
> [@vix](#): > > Mom (or Ma) > [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > “Mom” gets shortened to “Ma” on occasion Oooh, I forgot about “Ma.” I do that, too, but only when talking to her. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-do-you-call-your-parents/355412/42 "2006-05-04T22:03:55Z")
Forgot to add: male, 39, Alabama. ---
**Author:** ![Endless\_Flight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e480ec/32.png) [@Endless\_Flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Endless_Flight)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-do-you-call-your-parents/355412/43 "2006-05-04T22:07:04Z")
Mom or Ma, and Dad or Pop Male Originally from Indiana ---
**Author:** ![pudytat72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@pudytat72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pudytat72)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-do-you-call-your-parents/355412/44 "2006-05-04T22:36:18Z")
Mom and Daddy female, age 51, Texas my kids call me Mom One theory I heard was that if you called a parent by the name used in childhood, Mommy or Daddy, that you were stuck (in that time) in your emotional relationship with that parent. I feel that is true for me, my daddy was very abusive to me when I was little. ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-do-you-call-your-parents/355412/45 "2006-05-04T22:44:15Z")
Mama and Daddy 36 y.o. female Montana ---
**Author:** ![Dusty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@Dusty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dusty)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-do-you-call-your-parents/355412/46 "2006-05-05T00:27:18Z")
Answers vary. “Mama” is the default (either “MAH-mah” or “muh-MAH”, depending on the situation) “Mommy” when I want something (draw out the O and Y for several seconds) “Mummy” and “Mahmmy” are also valid variants of “Mommy”. “Mother!” when peevish (say it like Christina from _Mommy Dearest_) “Maw” when joking (say it in as hickish an accent as you can muster) “Hey Maw” is a common phrasing of the above. Her name whenever it seems best, particularly in public or noisy areas. “You there”, the ultimate form of address, works for mothers too. But never “Mom”. I simply don’t like that word. Usually no address is needed. I never quite got why some people, after the conversation is already underway, still feel the need to periodically inject the other person’s name. My father I mostly call nothing, but when necessary, I’ll use his name or the term “my father”. I’m male, 23, from Maine. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-do-you-call-your-parents/355412/47 "2006-05-05T00:32:42Z")
> [@KRM](#): > > If you would please, also indicate your gender and a rough idea of where you were raised. > > I’ll go first: > Mom and Dad > Male > Midwest US > > Thanks. I have no idea why I’m interested in this. Oh, sorry. I’m female. And was raised…er… Sigh. 4 years in India. Then 8 years in Michigan. Then until adulthood, NY. You tell me where I was raised. I’m not sure myself. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8797f3/32.png) [@The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Universe_Lashes_Out)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-do-you-call-your-parents/355412/48 "2006-05-05T00:40:12Z")
Mom and Dad Male Mobile, Alabama ---
**Author:** ![FaerieBeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@FaerieBeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FaerieBeth)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-do-you-call-your-parents/355412/49 "2006-05-05T00:49:55Z")
Mama (Which I have always spelled ‘Momma’) and Daddy Female, 36 Arkansas ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-do-you-call-your-parents/355412/50 "2006-05-05T00:53:41Z")
> [@FaerieBeth](#): > > Mama (Which I have always spelled ‘Momma’) and Daddy > > Female, 36 > Arkansas Such a Southern Belle. Least, that’s how I’ve always pictured you. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-do-you-call-your-parents/355412/51 "2006-05-05T01:00:14Z")
Mom and Dad Male, 21 Northern California ---
**Author:** ![MaddyStrut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@MaddyStrut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaddyStrut)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-do-you-call-your-parents/355412/52 "2006-05-05T01:01:53Z")
I’m female, 39, and grew up in the midwest. I call my parents “mom” and “dad” when I address them. When I talk about them, I usually say “my mother” and “my father.” For some reason, I’ve never used “mommy” and “daddy.” I went straight from “mama” and “dada” to “mom” and “dad.” My grandmothers are both “grandma” to me. My paternal grandfather is “grandpa” while my maternal grandfather was always “papa.” ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-do-you-call-your-parents/355412/53 "2006-05-05T01:47:07Z")
Mom and Dad to their face, “the parental units” or “the units” when talking about them. Midwest, 50ish. ---
**Author:** ![Pensandfeathers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Pensandfeathers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pensandfeathers)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-do-you-call-your-parents/355412/54 "2006-05-05T06:01:22Z")
Regular: Mom and Dad nicknames: Mummy and Daddums Female Western US ---
**Author:** ![SurrenderDorothy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/surrenderdorothy/32/1221_2.png) [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-do-you-call-your-parents/355412/55 "2006-05-05T06:16:20Z")
I call them mom and dad when referring to them my mom is always mom, my dad is dad half the time and daddy the other half. (never “daddy” when I want something, though. I don’t work that way.) and I called my mom mommy for a horribly long time. I don’t remember when it switched… probably in sixth grade when I decided I hated her and started calling her “motherrrrr.” and then later when I decided to forgive her for existing, it switched to “mom”. ---
**Author:** ![Erika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/47e85d/32.png) [@Erika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erika)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-do-you-call-your-parents/355412/56 "2006-05-05T07:05:21Z")
Mom and Dad; female; 25; grew up in south eastern PA. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-do-you-call-your-parents/355412/57 "2006-05-05T07:20:36Z")
Mother and Dad. Sometimes I call her Mom, but it’s pronounced very, very close to “mum”. Usually it’s when I’m talking to other people about her, however, shortened for convenience (which I also do with my grandmother, fondly called “Nanny” even today, so I might say something like “Mom and Nan went out for Chinese” when speaking to someone else. When they return home, however, I am likely to say, “Did you bring me back an eggroll, Mother?”). Sometimes, not when I want something, but when I miss him, Dad becomes “Daddy”. I’m sure it’s childish to outsiders, but my family gets it completely - even _Daddy_ himself, stoic and largely unemotional man that he is. However, I’m sure my brother couldn’t get away with it. 😉 Female, 27, born and raised in southern New Brunswick, Canada. ---
**Author:** ![Monkey\_Chews](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@Monkey\_Chews](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monkey_Chews)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-do-you-call-your-parents/355412/58 "2006-05-05T07:41:42Z")
When I’m speaking to them: Mum and Dad When referring to them (especially to either of them regarding the other, or with my siblings), we use the nicknames they generally go by, which are Wishy and Robby (they look very cutesy when I type them out, but imagine them said with a tough Australian grunt). Collectively, we call them “the kids”. Australian male, 32 ---
**Author:** ![SurrenderDorothy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/surrenderdorothy/32/1221_2.png) [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-do-you-call-your-parents/355412/59 "2006-05-05T08:01:25Z")
> [@SurrenderDorothy](#): > > I call them mom and dad when referring to them > > my mom is always mom, my dad is dad half the time and daddy the other half. (never “daddy” when I want something, though. I don’t work that way.) > > and I called my mom mommy for a horribly long time. I don’t remember when it switched… probably in sixth grade when I decided I hated her and started calling her “motherrrrr.” and then later when I decided to forgive her for existing, it switched to “mom”. oh, and I’m 15, female, Missouri ---
**Author:** ![Auld\_Reekie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@Auld\_Reekie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auld_Reekie)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-do-you-call-your-parents/355412/60 "2006-05-05T13:17:40Z")
Mine are Jennifer and Michael. Female, 29, Scotland I have never called them anything else. Apparently my older brother started calling them by their first names when he was very young (“Because it’s your name” was his toddler logic) and I picked it up. By the time they stopped thinking it was cute, it was too late and had stuck. I can’t actually imagine calling them mum or dad, although I think it is strange if I hear other people using first names for their parents. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-do-you-call-your-parents/355412.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-do-you-call-your-parents/355412.md?page=4)