What do you make of it when adults refer to their mom or dad as just “Mom” or “Dad”

[Anonymous]

Instead of saying “my mom” or “my dad” when they are talking to non-related other adults? I have two friends who do this, and I find it very peculiar. They are women in their 40s and 50s, and then they talk about their dads to me or in a group of friends, they just refer to him as “Dad.” Like, “Dad was late to pick up the kids from school so Steve had to scramble to go get them because I was in a meeting.” Or “Dad fell again and is in the hospital.”

[Anonymous]

Nothing that's just their name

[Anonymous]

I definitely heard it a lot growing up. It's a cultural affectation and nothing more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Instead of saying “my mom” or “my dad” when they are talking to non-related other adults? I have two friends who do this, and I find it very peculiar. They are women in their 40s and 50s, and then they talk about their dads to me or in a group of friends, they just refer to him as “Dad.” Like, “Dad was late to pick up the kids from school so Steve had to scramble to go get them because I was in a meeting.” Or “Dad fell again and is in the hospital.”

"MY dad was to to pick up MY kids from the school MY KIDS GO TO, so MY HUSBAND Steve had to scramble to go get them because I was in a meeting AT MY WORKPLACE."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I definitely heard it a lot growing up. It's a cultural affectation and nothing more.

Is it common in specific cultures?

[Anonymous]

Why would you make anything of it? The point of language is to get your point across. They only need to specify which dad if the story involved more than one.

[Anonymous]

Why do you care so much, OP? My old school FIL always referred to "the wife" to refer to my MIL, which I found antiquated but not thread-worthy.

[Anonymous]

Now for the rest of the day, I will be thinking about Blanche from the Golden Girls and her "Big Daddy."

[Anonymous]

This is one of the most petty posts I’ve seen on the family relationship forum in a long time, and that’s saying a lot.

[Anonymous]

It bothers me too haha. I wouldnt say anything, but yeah, it sounds like a child talking.

[Anonymous]

It's bad. Sounds like a 3 year old. Arrested development. I usually see it in adults with no kids of their own...

[Anonymous]

Even weirder I call them by my kids’ pet names for them.

[Anonymous]

Nothing. I don't do it, but it makes no difference to me if someone else does.

[Anonymous]

Mom tells me it’s fine.

[Anonymous]

I only do it with my siblings as in "I'm going to mom's house on Sunday". What anyone else I would say "my mom's house". But why would I care what other people do? We get their meaning.