Just call me "Dad"

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Posted by Erik Deckers on June 22, 2008 at 7:42pm

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My oldest daughter just called me Dad. She's nearly 12, and up until today, she's called me Daddy. But she sent me an email to my Gmail account today that said "Dear Dad, Thank you for letting me go to the church retreat."

Dear Dad. Not "Daddy." The older honorific. The one she'll use in public, in front of her friends so she's not embarrassed by them thinking she's a baby. Eventually, it's the one she'll use all the time, so she doesn't think she's a baby.

When did I become Dad? I knew this day was coming. I even talked about it with my wife. Neither of us have been looking forward to it. I'll still be "Daddy" to the two youngest for several more years, but it's still a denting blow.

One of the things Google does is put sponsored links in all of their email windows. It keys the messages on the text of any email. Write an email to your friend about a diet, and all the sponsored links will be about diet programs. Get one about the new watch you got for Father's Day, and all the messages are about watches and Father's Day.

For this email, two of the sponsored messages are about "Learning to Let Go" and "Letting Go."

Google is mocking me. Stupid Google.

Tags: dad, daddy, daughters, family

Comment by Rae Kridel on June 22, 2008 at 7:53pm: Erik,

I'm 44 and still call my father "Daddy." And she'll always be your little girl.

Comment by Erik Deckers on June 22, 2008 at 8:37pm: I remember the first time I made the conscious choice to call my dad "Dad." I was 10, and thought I sounded dumb calling him "Daddy" when I was a big boy of 10. I don't know if it ever had this impact on him, but it's something I need to ask him.

I know there are still some Southern women who call their dads "Daddy" all their lives. It would just sound silly coming from me, although I still call him "Daddy" once in a while, as a joke.

Comment by Amy Stark on June 22, 2008 at 9:10pm: Maybe it is a written thing, Eric. Maybe your daughter will still "call" you Daddy, but write Dad in emails. Like Rae, I will always refer to my father as Daddy, and he passed away seven years ago.

My daughter is 13 and I can't print what she calls me It is normally mumbled under her breath as she walks down the hallway to clean her room. I know now why my mom says, "teenage girls are not to be tolerated!"

Comment by Rae Kridel on June 22, 2008 at 10:13pm: I think it has to do with the nature of your relationship with that parent. My father is larger than life in a lot of ways, and I always felt protected. My mother is more of a friend, so verbally, and in writing, it's always "Hey Ma!"

As for teenaged girls, friends who have both boys and girls tell me that boys are more trouble when they're young, and girls are little angels, but later on, boys mellow out but girls become a handful.

Comment by Joyce Boadt on June 23, 2008 at 9:03am: My daughter is 26 and she still calls me Mommy and always has. I've had several friends comment on that fact that they find it somewhat unusual that she still uses Mommy at her advanced age but I love it! Of course, depending on the circumstances she calls me other things as well. When I start to exasperate her it's Mo-om (two syllables), when she's truly annoyed it Mother, and the verbal equivalent of tweaking my nose - Mommy Dearest.

As for me, Mom is and alway will be Mom and depending on the circumstance it's either Dad or Daddy. Dad primarily in public and Daddy on the phone or when I go home to St. Louis for a visit. Always a big hug and I love you Daddy. But then, I'm unashamedly a "Daddy's Girl".

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