Mother Upset After Son’s Girlfriend Referred to Him as ‘Daddy’ in Front of Her

A woman turned to Reddit for advice after accidentally upsetting her boyfriend’s mother by calling him “daddy” in front of her.

The 24-year-old, posting anonymously on the “Am I the A——?” forum, explained that her 28-year-old boyfriend’s mom overheard the nickname while the couple was cooking together in the kitchen.

The woman said she sometimes calls her boyfriend “baby,” “boobie,” and “handsome.” But when she used the word “daddy,” his mother, who she lives with along with the stepfather, appeared offended.

“When we cook, we like to make it fun so it doesn’t feel like a chore,” she wrote. “So, our cooking sessions often involve some light music, dancing, bad singing, and kissing here and there. That said, there is a small open section of wall between the kitchen and living room. While we were cooking, his mom was standing right by that open wall and overheard me call her son ‘daddy.’”

After asking her to repeat it, the girlfriend said the mom — usually sarcastic — seemed serious this time.

“I looked at her surprised because I had no clue she was there the whole time and responded with ‘Daddy.’ She was in disbelief and told me to never call him that again,” she wrote. “I responded by saying, ‘How is this any different from you calling your husband papi around us?’ My boyfriend’s jaw dropped. I think his dog’s did too. She couldn’t even look at me at that point.”

The woman added that it’s now been two weeks since the incident, and her boyfriend has been “begging me to apologize to his mom.”

“But I genuinely don’t understand how I’m in the wrong? Redditors, what would you do if you were me,” she asked.

Many commenters sided with the mother, pointing out that “daddy” carries a strong sexual meaning.

“YTA [you’re the a——],” one top-voted response said. “Nobody wants to hear that. If you’re in your own house, sure…go ahead. But if you’re in his mother’s house, then that is not OK.”

Some users explained that while “papi” can sometimes be romantic, in many cultures it’s also used as a common term of endearment between parents, children, or even for pets. That, they argued, makes it different from “daddy.”

Other parents weighed in, saying that while couples can use any nicknames in private, calling a boyfriend “daddy” in front of his mother crosses a line — especially when living in her home.

“Calling a boyfriend who is not the father of your child ‘Daddy’ has a mainly sexual meaning, whether you intend it or not,” one user wrote. “Since you live with her, it’s worth it to apologize. There’s no reason you have to call him that around her, in her home.”

Another reminded her that the mother’s house means the mother’s rules:

“One way you can call him whatever you want is to move. But I would NEVER call someone ‘daddy’ in front of their own mother. She can be as weird as she wants in her own house, and so can you — in yours.”

They concluded by suggesting the mom may already be tired of the couple living there. “If it’s my son and he’s daddy, well, daddies have somewhere to live. They provide shelter.”