Life
I've never called my husband "daddy" in front of our daughter. I've referred to him as "your dad," but that's as close as I'll get. I've heard other moms and dads call each other "mommy" and "daddy" in front of their kids, as though those are their only names. Honestly, I find it downright creepy. So here, for your enjoyment, is a list of reasons why I won't ever call my partner "daddy" in front of my kids. It's not exhaustive, but I think it's more than enough to at least help those who are in the "mommy" and "daddy" camp, understand where I'm coming from.
I do remember one instance when my husband was holding my daughter when she was just a few months old. He was sitting on the couch and wanted me to hand him her bottle that was sitting on the counter. "Hey, mom, hand me that bottle, please?" Eh, no. He hadn't even called me "mommy," which would have been much worse, but it was still enough to stop me in my tracks and force us to have a conversation about how we address each other. I am not his "mommy" and he is not my "daddy," so I would much prefer we use proper correct language when we address each other or speak about each other. He laughed, because I'm nothing if not the daughter of two English majors, constantly pointing out proper grammar and spelling, but also because he realized how weird what he had said actually sounded.
Laugh once, husband, but I don't want to hear it again. And I can promise you, all of these reasons are going to keep me from calling you "daddy" at any point, too.
Because It's Creepy
Right?! It's so creepy to hear other couples addressing each other as "mommy" and "daddy." Don't they hear how weird it sounds?
Because It's Technically Not Even Correct
He's not my "daddy" or my "dad" or my "father." Just repeat that to yourself whenever you're tempted to address your partner as such.
Because There Are Other Ways To Say My Partner Is A Dad
There are at least several other ways to refer to my partner other than "daddy," and I'm happy to use those instead. To my kids, I can call him "your father" or "your dad." When I address him directly, I just use his name.
Because My Kids Will Eventually Learn My Partner's Real Name
Eventually, my kid is going to have to learn that their father also has a name other than "dad." May as well start now, because I think explaining why I'm calling my partner "daddy" when he has a perfectly usable name, is going to be much harder in the future.
Because I Don't Want Him Calling Me "Mommy"
I really, really don't. It gives me goosebumps, it weirds me out so much. Especially since he doesn't even call his own mom "mommy," for which I'm also pretty thankful.
Because How Hard Is It To Add One More Word?
How hard is it to say "your dad," or just call your partner by their name? Just add one more word, you guys, because I promise it's not that hard. I'm even OK with calling my husband "babe" or "honey" in front of my kids, because I think it's affectionate without being weird.
Because Weird Fetish Images Abound
The least icky images are a little Freudian at best, and your best bet is to just not think about the weird fetishes that shows like Law and Order bring to mind.
Because I'm Not Doing It In Private Either
I'm not going to call my kids' dad "daddy" in front of them, and you can bet I'm not doing it when they're not around, either.
