Saturday 9 July 2011

Don't Call Me Mummy

I'm afraid this is a bit of a rant. I hate being called "Mummy". Don't get me wrong, there's nothing sweeter than my son saying "Mummy" and his favourite thing to say, especially in the morning is "oh my Mummy" it makes my heart sing. For a long time he said Mama, and it was only in Australia that it all came together. And I love it.

But anyone else, forget it. Forget it. I didn't give birth to you so don't do it. My husband tends to refer to me as "Mummy" (only in front of Joseph mind, and certainly not in the bedroom, that would be weird), but that's ok. The last thing I want is Joseph calling me "Kylie" (However I do call my dad, who is very much my biological father, Bob, but I don't know why!)

When Joseph was in hospital, doctors called me "Mummy". I hated it. In some situations, like when Joseph was in for his hernia surgery, I didn't mind, we were only in 24 hours, it was a busy ward, and learning all the parents names would be impossible in a unit devoted to day case and overnight surgical cases.

However, when your baby is in hospital for 10 weeks, and is the only baby in the ITU ward I think its common courtesy. Learn my name and use it. Calling me "Joseph's mum" or "Joseph's mummy" is acceptable, at a pinch, but not "Mummy".

I'm not a young mum, I was 36/37 when Joseph was in hospital. I was younger than some doctors but older than some of the others. One day in the cafeteria one of the doctors accidentally called me "Mummy" and I went mad! "Please don't call me that, not in here, please!!!" and he laughed it off. But I had a point. About ten people were scratching their head as to how I could be the mummy of a 50 year old man, who was a completely different racial background to me.

By the end of the stay all the nurses called me Kylie and some of the doctors. One in particular got a dressing down for calling me Mummy, he was only in his mid twenties and it made me feel uncomfortable. He also used to pop up when I was expressing milk and call me Mummy, but that's a rant for another day.

Really, its not hard to remember my name. I would have happily worn a name tag! Or a flippin t-shirt.

Because at the end of the day there's only one person who truly is able to calle me mummy, and that's my son.

3 comments:

  1. 100% whole heartedly agree with you!

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  2. Lol you do make me laugh sometimes, I was lucky when Ellie was in hospital I don't recall being called mummy, it was mostly Sara as a lot of the nurses were younger, when it came to Dr's it was Mrs Thomson or Ellie's mum.

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  3. Thankfully, nobody ever called me "mummy"
    :-))
    although I did get "Mr Mom" when I stayed home while Dianne worked.

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