Do you call your parents by their first name or Mom & Dad?

[Crowley]

I call my parents Ma and Pa. Since my son started talking that changed to Ouma and Oupa whenever he is around.

I only have ex in laws and the forum swear filter will kick in if I say what I call them.

 

[Picard]

First name when very public. i.e. If for some stupid reason I need to semi-shout it in a crowded place. I speak German to them though, so ultimately it matters little - few understand it anyway.

You German you ...!!!

I always thought of you as a Durban Private School English boy.

EDIT: I think of most English First Language white people here as Durban Private School English boys. With a few exceptions regarding KES and a couple of other trivial institutions.

 

[Stefanmuller]

We use "jy" en "jou" with our parents since childhood, after addressing with Mamma or Pappa. Sound so silly to say "Pappa kan Pappa vir my Pappa se gholfstokke leen?". With other adults we use Tannie and Oom and no "jy" and "jou"

 

[HavocXphere]

I always thought of you as a Durban Private School English boy.

I blend in well with the English crowd & pvt school part is accurate too (German gov picked up most of that frightful bill), but Durban...not so much.

You German you ...!!!

Well I probably identify as a South African more than a German, but its 50/50.

 

[SoulTax]

We use "jy" en "jou" with our parents since childhood, after addressing with Mamma or Pappa. Sound so silly to say "Pappa kan Pappa vir my Pappa se gholfstokke leen?". With other adults we use Tannie and Oom and no "jy" and "jou"

I have always found this quirk of Afrikaans culture to be rather silly. It is like taking the "Respect" thing and chucking it way overboard.

 

[knobshine]

Jy en jou is NEVER to be used when addressing my parents ... well .. now just my mom or grand mother. Even as a adult it is mamma and ouma. If we are having words, then it switches to ma instead of mamma. Never ever "jy" of "jou" As a adult now it is ok to address my uncles and aunts as jy and jou. As a child you would not dare that either. You called them Oom of tannie ... same for any adult when still a child. Call them jou of jy whne you are a child and you are just asking for it.

I didn't know it was a sign of disrespect in afrikaans society to refer to your parents as jy/jou.
How does it work? Say you needed help from your dad for something and asked him "Kan jy my help?" would that be a beatable offense? Would the correct way of asking be, "Pa, kan Pa my help?". Also, would "Pa, kan jy my help?" be acceptable.

Oh yes, 30 white, call my parents mom and dad when he was alive.

 

[TelkomUseless]

I didn't know it was a sign of disrespect in afrikaans society to refer to your parents as jy/jou.
How does it work? Say you needed help from your dad for something and asked him "Kan jy my help?" would that be a beatable offense? Would the correct way of asking be, "Pa, kan Pa my help?". Also, would "Pa, kan jy my help?" be acceptable.

Oh yes, 30 white, call my parents mom and dad when he was alive.

My parents would correct me.. "nie jy/jou nie, maar eerder kan pa my help".

 

[TelkomUseless]

We use "jy" en "jou" with our parents since childhood, after addressing with Mamma or Pappa. Sound so silly to say "Pappa kan Pappa vir my Pappa se gholfstokke leen?". With other adults we use Tannie and Oom and no "jy" and "jou"

Dan sê eerder "Kan ek pa se golf stokke leen asb?"

 

[Pho3nix]

Thanks for all the answers guys. Spoke to my Dad about this when I got home and he said what me or my sisters call him isn't that much of a biggie depending on the intent.
Eg. He said he doesn't mind me calling him by his first name because when I do on occasion I say it when I'm in a good mood and not too be disrespectful.

My father also told me a story about his first experience with "white" culture wherein a friend of mine; we were 12 at the time called him by his first name. My father was furious but once my sister and mother explained that is how he speaks to his family and his friends family he calmed down a bit. We had recently moved to the suburbs

Oh early 20's. Black young man.

 

[Ms_S]

I call my parents mommy and daddy.
Started calling my MIL mom on my wedding day.

 

[Lordpiet]

Ma en Pa . . .

 

[STS]

Age 2 - 6: Daddy
Age 7 - 19: Dad
Age 20 - Present: Hey *******

 

[Mortymoose]

Always called my father, Jock..... whilst he was still on this sphere....

My mother .... mom.....

not too sure how this happened........

 

[Lordpiet]

How old is she? 12 then

Why did she do it? ^^ Teenager coolness.

How often do you see them? I don't see her much (once a year then) but my youngest two (son, and another daughter) live with me and my wife (2nd marriage)

If you were my dad i will also call you by your name if I see you once a year because you not there to raise her . . . I put myself in her shoes I will tell you your nor my dad you just a random guy who got my mom pregnant. . . and once you are there to raise here you can force her to call you Dad. . . and by giving money is not raiseing her . . .


No Offence just my point of view. . .

 

[Lordpiet]

Mom = My ma
Dad = My pa
Mother-In-law = Jou Ma

Fixed it

 

[mooks]

If you were my dad i will also call you by your name if I see you once a year because you not there to raise her . . . I put myself in her shoes I will tell you your nor my dad you just a random guy who got my mom pregnant. . . and once you are there to raise here you can force her to call you Dad. . . and by giving money is not raiseing her . . .


No Offence just my point of view. . .

You never know what the circumstances are though. Minimooks only sees her dad once a year because he lives in Asia. That said, they skype regularly, whatsapp often and call from time to time. There is no question that he would be called Dad. In fact, he'd go pretty nuclear if she didnt.

 

[visrot]

Ma and Pa

White 40's

 

[GreGorGy]

Ma and Pa

White 40's

Wow - I am surprised. I'd have thought Dolly and Boba.

 

[azbob]

Chef and Bank respectively.

 

[Loumina]

Being raised by french parents, "papa and maman" (Which is daddy and mommy).
But loving english at school, I started calling my mom "mommy" since 16, and she didn't care.
I call my in law the same, dad and mom, and my husband do the same.

Edit : My mother-in-law uses to call her husband "cheri" (Which is "darling" in English. She never calls him otherwise. Even in a conversation with someone else...). So up to 8, my husband thought his dad's name was "cheri". lol!