For most parents, deciding what name their baby will know them by is relatively simple. Mom and Dad, Mommy and Daddy, or Mama and Papa have a long history. But when both parents are Mom or both are Dad, things can get a little more complicated.
Sticking to tradition
Mom and Dad are both pretty classic names. If you want to go this route, you can differentiate between yourself and your partner by choosing to go by Mom and Mama, Dad and Daddy, or some similar combination of names. It’s possible that Mommy and Daddy aren’t names that will last into your child’s 20s, but you can always cross that bridge when you come to it.
Keeping things casual
Some parents choose to skip titles completely and ask their children to call them by their first names. After all, shouting for “Mom” in a school parking lot isn’t likely to connect you to your parent very quickly. While some people might see this as a potential sign of disrespect, if it’s something you’re asking your child to call you, clearly there’s nothing but love and respect involved.
Getting creative
There’s no law stating that your child needs to call you a common variation of Mom or Dad. People make up names for grandparents all the time, right? For moms, anything like Meme, Ma, Mum, or Momo will get the point across. For dads, Pawpaw, Dada, Pop, or Poppa will work. Some parents even choose to incorporate their first names or first initials, like Papa T. or Mama Kelly.
The bottom line
You can think of the best names in the world, but it’s possible that when Baby starts talking, they will want to call you Amma instead of Mama or Deedee instead of Daddy. Sometimes babies make up the best names for their parents all on their own! And, as with most things, all that really matters is that your names work for you and your family. After all, it’s all in the name of love.
