Each relationship is given a specific term to make it easier to express. But there lies a much deeper meaning, in all its form, which cannot be interchanged with the changes in titles. The only people they rely on most are their parents; the other relations get the place after.
The attachment between the kids and their parents is irreplaceable. Each parent has a role to perform. Earlier, one of the parents would be out of the house, earning for the family, and the other would take care of the household chores, generally the female parent. Kids would get more attached to the one they saw frequently. Thus, mothers always had that special connection with their child than the father.
Currently, the situations are quite different. Both parents contribute to the family income; the parents give equal time to their kids. There are situations where the father works in the house, and the mother needs to step out of the house for work, and in this scenario, the kids get more attached to their fathers.
Kids, at their age, try to interpret on their own whatever they observe.
If the child somehow interprets that mothers stay at home and take care of the child, but they see the father doing those chores in his/her house, they might get the feeling that their parents exchanged their roles, and thus they should be addressed with the proper names. For a single parent, the parent plays the role of both the father and the mother; here, the kids addressing their father as ‘mama’ is an expression of what they feel.
If their gay parents bring up any child, it is common for a child to see one of them as a motherly figure.
There may be numerous reasons for a child to express their feelings and emotions.
Kids have very little analytical ability; they speak out whatever comes to their mind. Your baby calling you “mama” instead of “dad” is just a way to express what they feel for you. In terms of love, the word ”Mama” often comes at the top. Your child communicating with you with that name can be taken as a compliment as well. The love and care you give may be similar to the motherly love your child gets.
A relationship between you and your child is irreplaceable. What they call you now may change down the line as your child keeps growing. You can see a child calling ‘dada’ when young, and gradually it ends at ‘dad’ as they grow older.
Such can be the scenario in your case as well. Your child does not understand what you feel about it; they just speak what comes to their mind. If your child gets hurt or wakes up in the middle of the night and calls for mama, it does not matter to you, if your child calls out ‘mama’ or ‘dada’, you are just there for him/her anytime. The same can be your child’s case; seeing you in both the role of a mother and father at times may give your child an overview that parents can be addressed differently as well.
As your child grows older, so will their thinking capability. They may not call out the names they address you now. So, enjoy these precious moments and cherish those memories in the upcoming years. The love you impart in your child will reflect when they grow up, not what you were addressed to.
It can be a bit difficult to read the minds of kids at times. You can often see a kid feeling a different way and expressing it differently. It’s okay to be addressed by your child in any name. But, if it makes you uncomfortable, you can make him understand in his/her way about addressing the names.
Your child understands the meaning of care, love, and happiness the way you express in your household. Your child may get motherly love from you as well, and the moment he/she feels it, he addresses you with ‘mama’.
The happiness, the comfort your child feels when seeing you, is the most important aspect of your relationship. Names have the probability of getting changed now and often, but love stays on forever.