Calling inlaws "Mom" and "Dad" - does this still happen?

My husband and I do and we are under 50.

I’ve never thought about it. Marriage itself seems to be a far fetched idea.

My mother-in-law asked me to call them mom and dad and I blurted out “I already have a mother.”

She relented and said I could call them by their first names, but I always felt awkward doing that so I usually tried to avoid calling them anything.

I call my in-laws Mom and Dad and I am 46. My husband’s brother and his wife call each others parents by their first names. My BIL is 6 years younger than I am. My SIL is 11 years younger, but I’m not sure that her age had to do with the decision. I think that she thought it would be in some way disrespectful to her parents to call someone else “Mom” and “Dad.” She is very controlled by them, especially her mom, and I think that they would have been upset.

This came up on Fluther about a year ago, in case you would like to read answers from Jellies who aren’t here much any more.

I called my ex in-laws mom and dad, I was in my 20’s and 30’s then. My ex called my parents by their first names because it just seemed more comfortable to the relationships and no one was offended.

My future in-laws will be called by their first names, it feels comfy for me that way. My fiancee calls my mother by her first name and sometimes refers to her in conversation by a nickname, he goes by what feels comfortable based on the relationship they have.

If my in-laws wanted me to call them mom or dad specifically then I would defer to them.

@tedibear – Eek, that question didn’t come up in my search! Sorry! And thanks, it was interesting to read.

I don’t. But, then again, I’m not particularly close with my in-laws.

My first husband called my parents Mr. & Mrs., my 2nd husband called my parents Mom & Pops (even though he was about 20 years younger then them), my current husband addresses my mother as Mom (and she loves it), and when Pops was living he address him as just Brown (which Pops only let dear friends and family call him). My first husband’s mother I addressed as Mrs. ?? (she was kinda snooty, prim and proper). My second husband and current husband parents had passed when I met them. But for some odd reason, I don’t think I would have been comfortable calling them mom and dad. And then again, it depends on how dear they would have been to me.

My son-in-law who is 32 calls me Mom and my husband Pop. My mother and my mother-in-law have both passed. My husband, who is 52, calls my 91 year old father Mr. (my maiden name). I call his father by his first name.

My best friend is also my ex spouse and I still refer/call his parents mom & dad.

@Seelix – I didn’t mean it to be corrective, my friend! I just thought people would like to see answer from people who don’t hang out here now. It’s still a good question!

When my son got engaged, I suggested to his fiancee that she call us by our first names since she already had parents. She does.

Out of respect for my in-laws, I use the names they ask me to use. I have a son-in-law who is 8 years younger than me. Of course he calls me by my first name. And just to remind him, I call him “Son” every once in a while.

I would never do it. I had a mother and a father, and if someone is something of a surrogate parent to me, I prefer to call them “aunt” or “uncle” or just their first name.

I call my inlaws by their first names. They never expressed a preference, so I went with that.

Truthfully, I’ve always found the practice of calling ones inlaws “mom & dad” to be a bit…creepy.

I called my MIL “Nanna” like the kids did. She was a year younger than my grandmother, and calling her “Mom” would seem weird, and by her first name would be disrespectful.

My hubby called my mother mom but he calls my father Bill. I asked my MIL what she wanted to be called and she told me Wendy. She even went so far as addressing all her cards to us with Mom/Wendy. She also gave my hubby crap when she heard him addressing my mother as mom saying, “She’s not your mother”.

I called my in laws by their first names. I didn’t feel close to them at all, and I wouldn’t ever have dreamed of calling them Mom and Dad. I also thought it would be a little disrespectful to my parents to call these people I didn’t particularly like Mom and Dad. My parents are in their mid 50s and they called their in laws by their first names also, though they all liked each other and got along very well. My sister who is 30 calls her in laws Mom and Dad.

I used to call my exboyfriends mom, mom. I also called his grandma abuelita (grandma in Spanish).

My in-laws I call by their first name, but my FIL calls me hija (daughter).

No, I don’t always date Latin American, Spanish speaking men, those were the ony two.

Yes. My brother and my sister-in-law does that. And it sounds really good and nice.

Yes, it still happens with the younger generations. My guess is that it probably depends upon the family dynamics.

One BIL calls Mom by her first name; he is closer to her age than he is to mine. An ex-SIL called her Mom and still does despite the divorce years ago. One BIL avoids using anything. Right now, I call my fiancé‘s parents by their first names because that is what was requested. Once we marry, I would be honored if they let me call them Mum and Dad. They are very special people, and it would feel right.

My parents called their inlaws mum and dad. I call mine by their names when I have to but it feels awkward. Generally I’m around the kids with them so call them grandma and grandad. Husband does the same with my parents. Reading these answers it seems that if people get on with their inlaws they might call them mum and dad