Is calling a teacher "Mom" or "Dad" when you're young common?

I got in trouble for calling my college professor Daddy

As a small child it happened to me. Adult, female, cared about my well-being. Those are Mom attributes.

It’s pretty common! I’ve been teaching second and first grade for a bit now and I get called Mom/mommy like couple times a week haha.

I teach 8th grade. I get called Mom a few times each year. Usually it's when a table mate annoys a kid. The kid will lookat me and whine "mom!" out of habit. I usually reply with "your own mama wouldn't care about this, so neither do i" 🤷‍♀️

It's pretty common to switch the names of people you love with others who are in similar roles. Especially in people who aren't the most present mentally like children or the elderly. Been a joke in my family for years that grandma will cycle through the names of 5 grandkids before she gets the right one. Teachers and parents aren't the same but do fill similar roles in a child's life. Hopefully.

Former 2nd grade teacher, got called ‘Mom’ at least a few times every year 👍🤷‍♀️

My moms been a kindergarten teacher for 20+ years and it’s super common! The little kids call her mom and tell her they love her also. It’s super adorable! 

Yes, in any case it's a universal experience 😂

I'm a 63 year old woman. Work with school age kids. Over the years I've been called Mom, Dad, Grandma, Dude Ami, and on one memorable occasion just last month, Uncle John. ::shrug:::

It's not uncommon, and sometimes it still happens at the high school level.

I used to teach kiddos from age kindergarten to 6th grade. I got called mom a couple times. Kids are kinda dumb sometimes and especially in overwhelming situations they don’t always think with their heads. It happens.

It’s not something to read too much into though. It’s just kids being kids.

I once told my boss I love you at the end of a phone call. I had to follow up with a text explaining I didn’t actually love them. I immediately thought of calling my teacher mom when this happened to me.

I teach 7th grade students and it happens to me 1-2 times a school year.

I used to get called mom, but after a while they started calling me grandma. C’est la vie.

Once in the sixth grade I called my male teacher “Grandma”… haunts me to this day. 🙃 bonus points for the fact that his actual daughter was in my grade.

I know that I did it at least twice. I also remember other kids doing it from 3rd grade through high school, though not more than 5 times across all that time.

I am retired. I volunteer at a preschool. When a little needs a hug, I often become "Grandma!"

Yes. Someone will make that mistake, and they will be mocked mercilessly.

I wonder whatever happened to that guy.

Super common. I’ve done it myself and have seen it happen numerous times. Your brain just grabs the wrong “supportive/authoritative adult” word.

It is a slip of the tongue, a cognitive execution error and it happens all the time, in different ways through out life.

I’ve never heard a kid say that and I’ve never heard of a kid saying it

Never did that, or heard of it.

I accidentally did it a lot as a kid. It was almost never intentional and I'd get embarrassed, thankfully my teachers were really kind about it and never teased me. It wasn't until I was older I realized that it was because it happened to them a lot. I always assumed it was kinda like your parents mixing up your siblings names, or pets names. It's just, as a kid, you don't call your parents by their names so therefor, when you mix them up, other adults become "mom" and "dad".

Feel like it depends on the scenario. Kindergarten or first grade yeah I think that's very possible. When one is older I feel like it comes out more as a mistake. Like "Thanks, Mom" when you meant to say "Thanks Miss Smith" and then your eternally embarrassed. Like when a salesperson says "thank you for shopping here" and you say "you too".

When in middle school, i kept thinking about home or being at home. I got up to ask something to the teacher and accidentally called her mom. We both laughed about it.

For me it happened a lot, but I was home-schooled so it was more understandable.

Do you mean intentionally or unintentionally?

I had a student/football player call me pop. Still in touch with him. So nah. Not in my opinion 

Yeah I’ve been called mom multiple times and I’m a coach

I remember it happening fairly often in primary school.

I've called my first teacher from grade 1-4 mom by accident once or few times, not sure when exactly. It happens when a woman with motherly attributes spends a lot of time with you. Slip of a tongue. And as an adult, I've called my older sister and closest aunt mother a couple times by slip of a tongue. It's not weird.

I only ever did it once.

Elementary school teacher, got called dad or uncle a couple times.

I did it in 4th Grade. Super embarrassing.

I got called Mom and Dad a few times. This is while I was a Cub Scout and Boy Scout leader.

I'm a nanny and my nanny kids call me mama and dada on accident all the time, and vise versa with their parents. It's normal. Just like sometimes I say one kid's name when I meant their sibling. The brain just kinda short circuits to the last name it was using because the name isn't the important part of the sentence they're trying to get out. But yeah, my nanny kids call me "Lala" and so many times it's been "mama, I mean dada, I mean Lala, uh can we go to the park?". Going to the park is the important thing to them. Who takes them is "whatever adult is in charge right now" lol, so their brains aren't prioritizing that part of the sentence. I can totally see how it would happen with a teacher and students. Someone important in their life, who they see nearly every day, who is their "adult in charge at the moment".

I accidentally called my English teacher mum when I was 16, in class, which was particularly awkward as I was dating her daughter at the time (though that was probably also why it happened)

I used to substitute teach (very frequently for the same classes). Yes it happens.

I was a competitive swimmer when I was young, and I would occasionally call my coach Mom. My actual mother told me many years later that I would also wake up from nightmares yelling for my coach.

I accidentally called my first grade teacher 'mom' once, and she looked at me very disapprovingly and waited for me to correct myself.

I feel it has to do with them probably saying mom/dad a hundred times every day and it’s basically an instinct.

I have called my gf by my cat’s name and vice versa a few times cuz they are the two names I say the most. Maybe I’m just dumb.

I did it in first grade. Was mortified. Unnecessarily ofc

I didn't even know that was a trope on TV. I've never heard of this intentionally happening.

I'm 15 years old and I do this by accident every year. Actually not sure if I did this year but every year before this for sure.

I'm not sure I've ever called a teacher mom, but I think I did call one of my first bosses mom....

It happens occasionally, especially with younger kids who may see teachers as parental figures.

It is/was common among children who were really close to their parents. I never did but I heard it from kids during class.. I grew up with a mom who said I was a burden to her and everyone around me for being born. So I had a different relationship with my mom than any children I went to school with.

I always called my teachers "mom" and "dad." In fact, I would get weird looks if I didn't.

I was also homeschooled.

I substitute and am ESOL kid once called me mom and without shipping a beat she said, "it just means we like you well enough. Also if you never call a teacher mom it means you never had a decent childhood."

Yes, saw this as a teacher a lot. Lol always weird but not uncommon

Yes. Source: Myself. 😁

HAHA not the same but a hilarious anecdote that my high school best friend, had a habit of telling loved ones she loved them when getting off the phone. Our science teacher was particular surprised to hear how fond my friend was of her 🤣

Yeah it happens

If accidently yeah but if consistently wanting to, for a child could be the view their teacher as a safer environment in ways or something of sort.

In a teacher and it's happened to me a few times. I teach older kids though.

I called my second grade teacher dad once. People laughed and I was mildly embarrassed..

I called my K teacher 'grandma'. I also wanted to marry her.

Perhaps the problem lie with me.

i did it once. it was humiliating bc teachers always hated me

I'm in the States... I've never heard it here (or on TV shows)...unless of course the teacher was the student's parent. Is it something that happens in other countries?

Yep. I've had my fair share of being called mom by students. I think it's rather funny when the kid figures out what they said. I know there's no ill-intent.

Someone did it when I was in first grade once. But I don’t think it’s frequent. I mean, it’s probably common for most people to have heard this happen once or twice, but not common for it to be a frequent thing

My sister is a 1st grade teacher--this will be her 40th year. Believe me, she gets called Grandma more than Mom :)

I teach middle school and it still happens occasionally.

I taught juniors and seniors and was called Mom all the time. Sometimes they did it intentionally, but usually it was a slip of the tongue.

Students are just mindlessly calling you a name. Mom, Mr. (band teacher), Mrs. (science teacher). They usually catch themselves when they call me mom. At least half the time they call me another teacher’s name they don’t even register that they did it.

It isn't common, but it does happen. In elementary, in 8 years I called that a teacher once, and 2 others once or twice, from like 15 students in a class.

So it certainly isn't common, but it can happen rarely

Called my male 4th grade teacher “mom” once 😂

This never happened to me either. But I’ve heard from people who work at elementary/middle schools that it’s a pretty common occurrence. My mom was and still is a scary Asian lady and I grew up in a very non-Asian area. Those neurons never once crossed paths in my brain 😂

I did it once in 5th grade or so. I wouldn’t say it was super common though. Just a silly thing that the teacher found funny and my friends found funny for a bit. I’m sure no one else remembers but me at this point, because I was just a little embarrassed.

I'm a secondary teacher (ages 11-18) and I get called mum a couple times a year. I take it as complement, as part of my job is caring for them.

I accidentally called my teacher “mom” when I was about 11.

Terribly embarrassing but the teacher loved it

I called a old teacher in like 4th grade grandma

yea it's common to do a few times, and in moreso in primary and to a lesser extent secondary school.

They're an adult who cares for you - which is normally your mum or dad

Called my health class teacher mom. It was 8th grade so I basically died of embarrassment. But turns out it's pretty common

Happens to me all the time. Then I look down and realize I’m not wearing pants. Then I wake up.

I had to stop myself from saying 'love you' to a staff member the other day when ending our conversation, like I do with my family.

Not mom, but when I was in Pre-K I called my teacher “abuelita” 💀

It happened to me to, not a trope!

Yes, very common, especially in elementary.

It’s very common. I also called my boss mom when I was 18 😬 But it’s definitely not inconceivable to think you wouldn’t have done it.

I accidentally called a teacher mum once when I was very young. It was very embarrassing, but I wasn't the only one in my class who did it

I'm a fully grown adult approaching middle age and I accidentally called my male boss "mum" the other week. I do not find it weird that kids regularly do it.

Haha I did this twice when I was a kid. It didn’t help that her last name started with M. She was my favorite teacher, and the only one in public school who did everything she could to help my ADHD. We didn’t know I was Bipolar until 7th grade, but she made my 4th grade year special because she could just.. handle me. Mrs. Mccord you’ll forever be remembered by this soul.

I believe she retired last year!

That's really nothing compared to ending a work phone call with "Love you, bye."

yes it’s pretty common. kids end up spending more time with their teachers than with their actual parents. it’s also common for kids who have an unhealthy home, needing to look for a parental figure else where.

some parents regret having kids. teachers sign up to work with kids (for a low wage, might i add).

NOT EVEN REMOTELY.

Edit: WT ACTUAL F AT ALL THE BELOW COMMENTS.

This is not normal. Like at all.

I accidentally called my 7th grade teacher Mom once.

No, that's super weird

in high school it happened to only 1 person I knew for the whole four years

we laughed and then it was over though we didn’t like taunt him forever

No

I've never done it or had it happen to me. Don't recall ever witnessing it either. But another counselor at the camp I'm working at said that more than one of his campers has called him daddy.

Just once.

I needed to get my teacher's attention for some reason in third grade and she was conspicuously ignoring me; I was used to the same situation with my mother.

Ended up doing this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOLxQGLJouI without realizing the word I was using until about two minutes in she said "Yes, son?" and I got all embarrassed.

Never heard of it happening to anyone else in real life or in media.

I've never heard of it, but I would have loved someone to call mom.

not really. But I'll tell you whats worse. Is when moms start calling their boyfriend/husband/brother by the same name as their kid. Because they tell Steven to get off the table, clean up your mess, what are you doing in the trash STEVEN Michael McNabb What are you DOING!

Students have called me it... It's a slip of the tounge

Taught 3rd grade. It happened a few times each year. Got Mom, grandma, and even Dad once. I'd tell them, "you can call me Mom, you can call me Grandma, you can call me Dad, but I draw the line at Grandpa!" Which just made them all giggle. Not a big deal. I wouldn't have actually card if they accidentally called me grandpa but it was just silly.

I did it once, I don't think it's all that uncommon - maybe once or twice a year in a class.

I've never heard of it either in real life or on TV.

Awww my 4 year old nephew messes up and calls me mom. Then we both laugh

I don't know anyone that called teachers either unless they were actually related.

Yep. "Mom" Multiple times in elementary school, though I never called any teachers "dad".

As I think back I think it had to do with the structure of things I regularly said. Much like during the time of landlines especially, people would often sign off with "I love you, bye" or something similar and then feel embarrassed when they said their habitual endnote to someone who was not a loved one. In my case, my habit was "Mom, [question]?". I was just used to asking my mom stuff cuz mom is the person who clarifies instructions or directs me, so when I had to go to a teacher without raising my hand and just approaching her, that's what my brian was used to saying, like filler or "hey". It was just meant to get her attention so she knew I was talking to her. All of them had the decency to ignore it and go on about our day.

yes happened to me and i saw my friends do it first by accident and thought id never let it slip but definitely did.

Thats actually the most fucking insane thing I’ve ever heard wtf 🤣

This isn’t quite the same, but I used to teach kiddos from 3-14 how to grow food, and we always taught with a teaching partner. And the younger kids would always ask if me and my teaching partner were sisters. Lol

In a kids perspective Mom is equal to someone that takes care of you and feeds you or plays with you a kindergarten teacher does all of that most of the time and which makes the kid think that the teacher feeds me plays with me and takes care of me! She must be my mom! And you will hear the kid calling his or her teacher Mom or dad at least that is my point of view

I remember I did that on purpose to look cool.

I years ago heard a coworker in her late 20s accidentally refer to our boss (in his early 60s) as "dad." It happens.

As a teacher, happened to me twice. AWKWARD!

It’s crazy common. I get called all kinds of stuff as a 35 year old female kindergarten teacher

Mom/ mommy is the usual, but I also get called other teachers names, I’ve been called grandma/Mommom and I’ve been called “dad” and “grand pop” I’m sure there are others I’m missing lol.

I like to act outraged that they call me that and forget my name. They usually think that’s pretty funny.

Funnily enough, I don’t ever remember this actually happening.

I feel like it's definitely happened to me at least once, probably in high school (I spent about 3/4 of my time there with really low energy due to what I would later find out was a combination of anemia, vitamin D deficiency, and mental illness, so I would sleep during class pretty regularly, and probably called a teacher "mom" when just waking up). I don't remember the specific situation, but I was an awkward kid and this feels like something I did at some point.

Hell Ya, daily

I’ve done it a few times throughout my years in school, and have heard other students do it as well. Be happy you’ve never experienced the embarrassment!

I would not say its common. But it is not that surprising when it happens. I just hope none of my students will call me daddy.

Yeah it’s pretty common. I once worked as an assistant at a preschool and got very used to being called “mom”- happened at least a few times a week.

For me, no. It has a creep factor to it.

Yeah

I teach sixth grade. They're always embarrassed. I take it as a compliment.

I’ve done it

Very common in all elementary grades

As a school bus driver, I've had students in elementary and high school call me Mom. Usually, they just laugh when they realize what they say. I find it sweet that they call me mom. 🤷‍♀️

I’ve taught elementary for the last two years and got called mom by both boys and girls every couple of weeks. They all catch themselves and many are repeat offenders. Sometimes it means something. Sometimes it doesn’t. Very very common.

Im a teacher and usually hear it several times a week

Yes, we often ask Mom and Dad questions, so the brain will default to saying their names when we ask the next person in line a question, which is our teacher.

But fun fact- kids are starting to call their teachers “Alexa” on accident because Alexa is slowly starting to replace Mom and Dad as the source of answers around the house.

Very common for TK/K… they’re still learning the meaning of words and get them confused. As they get older it’s less common. It’s just a case of them categorizing the teacher in the same category as the parent.

It’s incredibly common, most people I know including myself did it at least once.

It only happened once or twice to me, I called my first grade teacher “mommy” lmao. “Mommy, -I mean, Ms.Maison?”

My Mom taught 4th grade for 20 years. From what I remember, it happened on average around 1-3 times a year. I think it's definitely more common with younger kids, though.

I teach 3 - 5 year olds and have been called mom a lot. I think they associate positive female role models with the warmth and safety mother's provide.

I did it more than once. However, she actually was my mom. Several times when I was in elementary school, my mom subbed in one of my classes.

I was so glad she preferred teaching elementary because I don't want to imagine how much more embarrassing it would have been in middle or high school. Fourth grade was rough enough.

my friend accidentally called our english teacher mom once when we were in grade 12. like she did it once accidentally to our teacher's face, but it was kind of because there were four of us (who were on yearbook) who just always referred to our english teacher (the yearbook advisor) as mom (like not to our teacher's face). it was a joke but also she was like, really safe and low-key but also there for us? like i used to go up to her classroom during my spare period sometimes and just put my head down and cry and that was like ok and nbd and i think i really did need that.

...ok now that i think about it, two of my fellow phd students and i regularly referred to one of our profs as dad. it was because he's caring and dorky and makes those kinds of jokes.

i think there's something about how it feels nice as a student to be cared about and looked out for by your instructional figure, especially when it's like a lot of caring but not weird (so like an ideal for e.g. mom lol).

Teacher here. Happens all the time.

Happened to me.

I called the principal dad a few times. He was my dad after all.

Yah it happens.