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Michelle
Super October 2020

Will you be calling your in-laws "mom" and "dad"?

Michelle, on October 8, 2019 at 4:56 PM

Posted in Family and Relationships 29

So, I am embarrassed to say that I've gone several years without referring my fiance's mom to any kind of name. When I first met her, she never told me what to call her and I didn't realize that until a year or two later. I feel like it'd be awkward to just ask! In Asian culture, many different...

So, I am embarrassed to say that I've gone several years without referring my fiance's mom to any kind of name. When I first met her, she never told me what to call her and I didn't realize that until a year or two later. I feel like it'd be awkward to just ask! In Asian culture, many different ethnicity have certain names for an older person.

One time we happened to have a conversation about this topic about who called what who, and his aunt (she's 20 years younger than his mother, she's my age) said, "Wait a minute, what do you call his mom?" and his mom just happened to walk by and I said, "I don't know, she's never told me." and she just laughed as she passed by. I should've asked her then what I should've.

So now I'm thinking I should bring it up when it comes closer to the wedding LOL. I do know that his brother-in-law calls her "mom". Do you wait to be invited to call them "mom" and "dad"? or do you ask?

29 Comments

  • Heather
    Expert August 2020
    Heather ·
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    Maybe ask your FH what he thinks if you’re too nervous to approach MIL about it? It’s so funny that you say that, because my moms godmother is my Grams’ best friend and my grandma tells my sister and I that we should call her “kristamama” which is Slovak for godmother instead of by her first name. We refuse because she’s not our godmother and it’s direspectful to our actual kristamamas so when forced to address her we call her “excuse me” 😂
    I call my MIL ma, and she calls me her daughter, especially since she knows I don’t have a relationship with my parents. But I don’t call FIL dad it just feels weird and I avoid addressing him directly at all costs. Or maybe sit down with MIL about it and be honest and say you don’t want to mean disrespect and ask what she would like to be called.
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  • Jen
    Super May 2018
    Jen ·
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    My ILs once asked me to call them Mom and Dad (out of no where, it was a total curveball and super awkward) and I told them I could never do that because I have a Mom and Dad. I just call them by their first names, if I use a name at all.

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  • Anna
    Super August 2020
    Anna ·
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    I call them by the first names and I will absolutely never be calling them mom or dad.

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  • Cassi
    Super October 2019
    Cassi ·
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    Honestly I don't think I have ever directly referred to them in a way I needed to use their name or anything.... when I talk to other people I call them my inlaws. When they sign cards and stuff to me for my birthday or anything they always sign mom and dad. I think the one time I may have said something to them I may have used their first name... lol

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  • Lauren
    VIP February 2020
    Lauren ·
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    I call my FILs by their first names. My dad calls my Granna (my mom's mom) "Mom". She's been a mother figure for him, and his mom died when I was really little. He calls her by her name sometimes but usually calls her "Mom".

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  • A
    Super August 2020
    Alex ·
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    I'm not really comfortable calling my FMIL "mom." I will just continue to call her by her first name until we have children, then I will refer to her as whatever they call here.

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  • Kristin
    Super November 2019
    Kristin ·
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    I call them by their first names but there are usually grand-kids around (8 and 20) who call them granny and pop-pop so that's typically what we call them when they are around.

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  • N
    Dedicated October 2020
    Neena ·
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    I will not. Married or not, they aren’t my parents and they never will be.
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  • Fany
    Devoted October 2021
    Fany ·
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    I could never call any other woman mom because no other woman treats me like I’m her daughter. I call my FMIL by her first name and put a “Ms.” I’m front of it.
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