My 14 month old calls nanny mama

[Anonymous]

I work from home and can hear my 14 month old call his nanny mama. I hear her correct him and say "I am Larla, mama is working upstairs, remember?" It still stings a bit. We had a conversation about it today and nanny says it's a developmental phase that all the young children she has worked with go through. Is this true?

[Anonymous]

Yes. To little kids just learning speech and vocabulary, mama doesn't mean "woman who gave birth to me." It means "woman who feeds me and meets my needs and gives me what I want." Don't worry about it at all!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. To little kids just learning speech and vocabulary, mama doesn't mean "woman who gave birth to me." It means "woman who feeds me and meets my needs and gives me what I want." Don't worry about it at all!

Somehow I doubt this makes the OP feel better.

[Anonymous]

What do you expect? She provides for all his needs and you do not. Stop being jealous and start providing for his needs.

[Anonymous]

When my DD was 14 months old she thought Mama meant "do it" or "fix it" or "get it". For example she would point to milk and say "Mama!" or hand my DH a broken toy and say, "Mama". And I was a SAHM (without a nanny).

It is developmental and nothing to read into to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do you expect? She provides for all his needs and you do not. Stop being jealous and start providing for his needs.

Good morning, Nanny Troll! How are you today? Do you think you might get outside today for a little fresh air? It will do you good.

[Anonymous]

I currently care for a little girl the same age & she says "Mama" quite often.

To her Mother, Father, Brother, Nanny, dog, toys, T.V., etc.

I wouldn't read too much into it OP.

Kids that age love to babble.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. To little kids just learning speech and vocabulary, mama doesn't mean "woman who gave birth to me." It means "woman who feeds me and meets my needs and gives me what I want." Don't worry about it at all!

Somehow I doubt this makes the OP feel better.

why? Explain yourself or don't troll.

[Anonymous]

Yes this is normal and it will pass OP.

That said, my 6 year olds still sometimes call me by the nanny's name or vice versa when they're talking fast. But I call them the wrong names all the time also and we just don't hold it against each other.

[Anonymous]

Normal. Had kids I work with do this all the time around your kids age.

[Anonymous]

Nanny here. My 2 and half year old still calls me mama but he laughs because he does it to be silly. Don't worry. Even if parents don't see their kid for 6 months the kid will still know your smell and voice and that you're their mommy.

[Anonymous]

Totally normal. It's part of the language aquisition proccess. Just like little ones might call all animals dogs or all cereal cheerios, they often will latch onto the name of their most familar grown up and instead of using it as a name, they use it as a title meaning, "Tall person who does stuff for me." Often Mom, Dad, nanny, grandma, sitter, etc. are all "Mama" for a while. If anything it means you are important enough to be the title she uses for all caring adults.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes this is normal and it will pass OP.

That said, my 6 year olds still sometimes call me by the nanny's name or vice versa when they're talking fast. But I call them the wrong names all the time also and we just don't hold it against each other.

Yes, it still happens for years but after about age 2 it's akin to how I sometimes call the kids by the dog's name.

[Anonymous]

I'm sure it'll pass. I remember in elementary school I called some of my teachers mom before lol

[Anonymous]

Yes this is normal OP. I worked in a daycare and all the kids used to refer to me the same way around that age. Don't wory she will grow out of it.