Toddler Confuses Father for Mother, Need Advice to Correct Behavior

Question

My 21-month-old toddler keeps calling me "Mommy" instead of "Daddy," and it's becoming a regular occurrence. I initially found it cute and funny, but now it seems like he genuinely believes I am his mother. Could our initial laughter have encouraged this behavior? Has anyone experienced something similar with their child? How can we correct this confusion?

Answer 1

My son (similar age) calls both me and his mum "Daddy". He also has a habit of calling all animals Cows or Sheep. Like Erica says in the comment, it's pretty standard. They've learnt a single word which at the moment means "Parent/Adult/Someone that's not Me". As they learn more words they can elaborate on the distinction. Just reinforce the difference patiently ("No, I'm your daddy! That's your mommy", while smiling) and he'll get there eventually!

The best example I've ever seen was my nephew, who had learnt that his Grandparents' Dog's name was Pippa. He then called every dog Pippa. When he was told that a particular dog was not Pippa ("That's not Pippa, that's Rufus!", for instance), he would then call the other dog "Not-Pippa".

Answer 2

My son calls all other babies 'Cassie' because that is his sister's name. He thinks all adults are called 'Mama' so it is really confusing to know who he wants. Hopefully he realises that people have different names soon because he's going to daycare.