18 months and no mama!

Anyone else out there with 18 month olds that don't yet say ma, mama, mommy or anything close??? They both say dada and have since they were under 12 months. At this point I can't help but start to feel a little upset about it. They don't refer to me as anything at all when I'm the one who's here taking care of their every need all day long. When my husband walks through the door from work their faces light up and they scream Dada!!! I get that they see my face all day long and are probably just thrilled to see another friendly face. But come on!!! My DS knows how to say it, but only does when prompted. But DD has never said it at all. When someone asks her who I am or shows her a picture of me and says who's that---she often says "baby"! Which cracks everyone up but me. Am I crazy for feeling insulted? Anyone else in the same boat?

 

Mine are 16 months and only say mama when they are upset and want me to hold them, etc.
But they say dada all the time!
Don't worry - I'm sure it will come soon enough! :hug99:

 

i am in the same exact boat w/my 15 month girls. I wish i could lie but honestly it really hurts. i bust my tail all day long and he doesn't even see them in the morning just very very little before bed. My one daughter actually snubs me when he is around and is mean to me. She snuggles with him jumps up and down and smacks me if he is kissing or hugging me. It's all abiut dada and no utters of mama. I feel your pain. I can only hope they grow out of it. I am sharing your pain hoping it is only a phase...i pray.

 

Thanks for the reassurance guys. It's nice to know I'm not the only snubbed mama out there Christine!!

 

Amy & Sarah both said Dada before they said Mama. Amy did say Mama (and now MOMMEEEEEEE!!) by about 18 months, but Sarah just developed "Mama" at about 20 months.

I guess DH and I are lucky at least in that we both work FT, so the girls don't see more of one of us than the other. They do go through phases though. Amy greatly preferred me from about 16-20 months and it was hard for DH. Now she is finally coming around to Daddy again.

 

Both of my girls can say "dada", but the only time I have ever heard them say "mama" was when they were mad about something. I have been trying to get them to repeat it to me lately, but they won't. Sometimes they call me "dada", too.

 

I am snubbed, too, but here's my theory:

I talk about Daddy all the time. When he drives away in the morning I say "Wave bye bye to Daddy". When he comes home I say "Daddy's home! Daddy's home! Wave to Daddy!". When he comes in the door I say "Hi, Daddy!".

I try to talk about myself in the first person, but it doesn't work out that way. I give much more emphasis on him than I get on myself.

I try to work with them while we are all sitting down reading. I point to them and say their names and I point to myself and say "My name is Mommy". It's just not the same.

I don't think they love him more, but I bet that you point and say Daddy a whole lot more than he points to you and says Mommy.

 

DS does not call me Mommy and DD just started (constantly) in the past 2 weeks. I figure it'll come soon enough and be all that much sweeter. :wub:

 

Mine our 19 months and until recently only said Mama when hurt or needed something bad. Only when they meant it. Now they say it alot more. Mason favorite thing "What's up Ma" Everytime he enters the room and Maya still doesn't say it that much.

 

My girls are the same exact way. When they see daddy its,"dada dada dada dada." I've heard them say mama MAYBE 5 times total and it was when they were whinning really bad. It drives me nuts!

 

don't feel bad. mine don't say anything! i would love hear dada or anything for that matter!

 

Mine just started at nearly 20m. I was worried, too. I think it's because we are more consistent saying Daddy, so they pick it up faster.

 

Mine are just 18 months and don't really say mommy. The say mamamama, but not really relating it to me. Like you, they say daddy and dad, but not many other words. We have them on the wait list for the speech therapist, just in case.

They are certainly talking to each other though!!! But I cannot understand them!!

Jen FB
Heath and Grayson, 18 months

 

It is very typical for children to say DaDa first, and MaMa second. The D sound is easier for them to say than the M sound.

 

I am so glad I'm not alone! I was wondering if other people thought it was strange that my kids weren't saying mama. It really does bother me, especially like Christine said, when I'm home with them 24/7 doing all the practical stuff: baths, meals, diapers. Daddy swoops in after work and life's a party!

I just chalk it up to the fact that in our case, mama is always around so they don't really have to ask for me, whereas daddy sees them before bed and on the weekends when he's not working, so we are always talking about dad when he's not there. They just hear "daddy" more. Maybe?