One of the most frequent questions I’ve heard from prospective LGBTQ parents is “What should our kids call us?” Here are just a few of the 400+ real-life names—and the stories behind them—that people have shared with the Mombian LGBTQ Parental Names Project since it began in 2011. Have a read and add your own!
To celebrate Nonbinary Awareness Week, here are several dozen wonderful, creative nonbinary parent names and the stories behind them, all submitted by nonbinary parents or their spouses/partners to the LGBTQ Parental Names Project that I’ve been running since 2011.
Happy Nonbinary Parents Day to all of the many nonbinary parents out there! Here are some books for all ages featuring nonbinary parents and adults, as well as ideas from other nonbinary parents about what their kids call them!
I first asked the titular question in 2011, and nearly 340 of you have responded since, along with many wonderful stories about how your parental names came to be. Here’s an updated summary of the LGBTQ Parental Names Project (and a chance to add your own names and stories)!
I first asked the titular question back in 2011, and more than 300 of you have responded over the years, along with lots of stories about how your parental names came to be—so here’s an updated summary of the LGBTQ Parental Names Project (and a chance to add your own names and story)!
Last month, Freddy McConnell, a transgender man, lost a lawsuit in the U.K. to be legally named his child’s father. Because he gave birth, the judge said, his parental status is that of “mother.” The decision is wrong on many levels—and the case has made me think about the multifaceted interplay of parental identities and gender.
“Some L.G.B.T. Parents Reject the Names ‘Mommy’ and ‘Daddy,'” says the headline in today’s New York Times. That’s no surprise to readers here—but it means it’s time once again to highlight the spreadsheet of names I’ve been collecting since 2011 on this very topic. Check out people’s names and name stories and add yours!
Chances are, if you’re a parent in a same-sex relationship, you’ve been asked “What do your kids call you?” If you’re a prospective parent, you may have asked it of yourself. Sometimes it’s for informational purposes—as when a teacher needs to know how to refer to you—sometimes it’s just nosy, as if the person can’t imagine how having two moms doesn’t confuse a kid. Here’s what I’ve discovered—with help from many of you.
I first posted this anonymous survey about parenting names a year ago, and over 130 of you responded. Many of you use the classic “Mommy” and “Mama,” but some use “Baba,” “Eema,” “Lala,” “Maman,” “MaPa,” “Mutti,” “Big Mommy,” “Mimo,” “Cita,” “Anya,” and others. I wanted to post the survey again to encourage others to contribute, and to urge those of you who already have to take a look at all the glorious ways we structure and name our families.
I’ve been delighted and fascinated by your great responses to yesterday’s unscientific survey on what our kids call us—so much so, that I’m going to encourage readers again to participate, if you haven’t already. (Please click the link to submit your answers to the spreadsheet; don’t just leave a comment.) So far, we’ve got lots
