My sisters daughter called me mommy.?

Question

So im 17 and i look after my sisters (24) daughter Rylie (3) most weekdays and most weekends. I see her at least once a day. My sister doesnt have time to take care of her because shes working and going to school. I love rylie so much and i never hesitate to look after her but 3 nights ago i was putting her to bed and i said my usual "Goodnight Riles!" and she responded with "Goodnight mommy!" It really shocked me but now she has started calling me that! I dont want my sister to hear it because i know she loves her daughter but shes not around enough to be called mom.And now when shes crying and my sister goes to take care of her she only wants me. How do i handle this? Should i just let it go and hope she grows out of it?

Answer 1

My oldest son at about 3 used to call me by my first name cause everyone else around him did.  It took a year for him to call me mom.  My youngest son at about 2 1/2 started to call my sister mommy when she took them for a week.  I was never offended by this though.  Some kids just go through the stage.  Just correct her when she says it to you.  My youngest daughter calls me daddy and her dad mommy.  She is a funny little thing.  She will be 2 in a couple of weeks.

Answer 2

just tell her I am Aunty ...name... Not mummy. I am very lucky to be your Aunty and love it when you call me that. But this poor child;s mum needs to spend more time with her child. Sit your sister down and have a talk about what is going on. She needs to be bonding with her mum as well as you

Answer 3

awww cute.

She'll grow out of it.  Kids that age see every caring female as mommy.  Or a caring male as daddy.

Answer 4

It is completely normal for small children to use the terms mommy and daddy on people other than their parents. It's not an insult to your sister that Riley does this. Also, I wouldn't freak out about it in front of Riley, or make a big deal about it because it could confuse her or make her think she did something wrong. When I worked at daycare with 3 year olds and they would call me mommy, I would joke around with them. You'd be surprised how much of a sense of humor 3 year olds have. I would get them to draw a picture of their real mommy or tell me what she looks like and ask them if I look like her.

Also, you need to make sure that you get Riley to talk about her mommy some during the day, so she knows her mom loves her and cares about her. Chances are, if you talk with Riley about her mom, at her age it will make her feel like she spends more time with her than she might be able too. Just remember it's a normal process and nothing to get upset about.

Answer 5

well you are her aunt and you probably look like her mom and you care for her...its no big deal, your sister may be hurt to realize that she is gone alot and you care for her daughter but she should also be happy that she is making a great bond with such a great aunt... :)

Answer 6

It is normal for children at the age of three to see any female who takes care of them as mommy - or any male who takes care of them as daddy. These are just terms that they use for the people who are around them the most. When she calls you mommy say no "i'm auntie ..."  

Answer 7

Yeah, don't worry.  My best friend's little girl used to call me "Mommy" when I babysat her, which was only like once or twice a week.  It's just a word to them, meaning "Lady I love who's taking care of me right now."  Just say, "Silly!  I'm _____".  Don't reprimand her or make her feel bad, she doesn't know.  And just don't tell your sis, unless she hears it.