Is this a common pet name for an adult child?

[DisneyBeagle]

My parents just call me by my name, so I don't really have a point of reference for this. Is it common for a mother to call her 40+ year old son "my darling sweetheart?"

 

[Handbag Lady]

My parents just call me by my name, so I don't really have a point of reference for this. Is it common for a mother to call her 40+ year old son "my darling sweetheart?"

Yes.

I'm 42 and my mom calls me and my sister Sweet Pea.

My dad can never remember my name so more often than not, I am Brittany. That's not my name but it is the name of my niece. We tease him mercilessly because he's been doing it since she was born 21 years ago. He also calls her Dawn. That's MY name.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

My parents just call me by my name, so I don't really have a point of reference for this. Is it common for a mother to call her 40+ year old son "my darling sweetheart?"

Only if she is sleeping with him.

...just kidding...

I don't have sons, just 2 dd's. I am trying to think if dh calls my dd's sweethearts....nope, that title is reserved for me.

 

[cluvsdisney]

My mother calls me sunshine and probably some other terms of endearment..she's pretty much always done it though.

 

[dislal]

This thread makes me want to My Dad passed away almost 5 years ago and he always called me Lucy (as in I love Lucy) and I hadn't thought about this nickname in a few years. My mom said he started calling me that shortly after I was born. When I was growing up he would always call me Lucy, but if he was mad at me (which wasn't very often) he would call me Beth Ann (my real name)

not sure if this would qualify for a pet name, but he did call me this up until he died, and I was 35.

 

[sparks19]

well that depends.

When they call do they ask for "my darling sweetheart"? or does she just say things like "Oh my darling sweetheart could you grab that for me" or "how are you my darling sweetheart"

The first I would say is not normal lol but the second I would say is quite normal

 

[Momvic5]

I think it is common. Up until the day my dad died, he would call me "Baby Girl" or "Sunshine". Most of the time, he called me by my name, but as a term of endearment in situations such as when I was saying good-bye or goodnight to him, he would refer to me as those names.

My 88yrs old grandmother refers to all of her grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great,great grandchildren as honey, sweetheart, baby, sister, or son. She has way too many names to remember so she just uses pet names.

 

[Robinrs]

I'm 55 and my parents called me Baby Butter until they died.

40 may sound OLD to you but wait until YOUR child is 40 and tell me if they're still your baby!

 

[JessicaR]

I don't know if its common or not. My grandmother called me something similar. My grandfather called me something else that was very endearing. My mom calls my son her sweet apple angel - he is 18.

I think its pretty great considering the alternatives.

 

[Robinrs]

Only if she is sleeping with him.

...just kidding...

I don't have sons, just 2 dd's. I am trying to think if dh calls my dd's sweethearts....nope, that title is reserved for me.

If you're only associating nicknames to sexual then it's inappropriate. In the South I've been called "dahling" or "sweetie" just for holding the elevator for someone.

 

[Liberty Belle]

I don't know how common it is (though I don't think it's really uncommon), but I see nothing wrong with it.

 

[stepmommyof1]

Eh.. "my darling sweetheart"? Kinda odd to me.
But just plain "sweetie"? I think that seems more natural.
Sweetheart and honey and baby all seem normal to me...it's the "darling" part that weirds me out.
I call stepson things like sweetie sometimes and other pet names....but "darling" seems somehow reserved for your significant other, not for your kid.
Only my own opinion, other people I'm sure have different opinions so whatever.

 

[ckay87]

Only if she is sleeping with him.

...just kidding...

I don't have sons, just 2 dd's. I am trying to think if dh calls my dd's sweethearts....nope, that title is reserved for me.

Ew...yucky joke!!!

I have 2 sons....teenagers now, but I will call them sweetie or whatever til the day I die. I can't think of any reason why not. They are my sweeties even though they are big and stinky and gross!

(and by the way, this is not in any way in a weird, clingy, possessive mommy kind of way either....I WANT them to get married and move out of my house with a different woman!)

 

[AustinTink]

I think people who read something sexual into a term of endearment given to a person's child have issues. I don't care if my mom is 100 and I'm 60, she will always call me baby girl. Wouldn't have it any other way.

And, my son will always be my sweet angel. He's my miracle baby and I couldn't give a flip who doesn't like it.

 

[ckay87]

If you're only associating nicknames to sexual then it's inappropriate. In the South I've been called "dahling" or "sweetie" just for holding the elevator for someone.

Oh geez, in the South you call your garbage man "darling" Most definitely not reserved for your significant other!!

 

[Pakey]

My husband is 60 and his mother still calls him nicknames that are terms of endearment, she always has.

 

[can'tgetenufofwdw]

My baby is 17 and he will always be my "chickylove" or "bug". Of course I don't do this on front of his friends but I'm sure someday when I'm gone he will smile and remember fondly my names for him.

 

[DisneyBeagle]

Thanks for the responses. My MIL calls my husband "my darling sweetheart" and it drives him nuts.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

I call my 12 year old son (and my dog, and sometimes my students although you didn't ask that) "Love".

It's a newly recent habit, and I don't know where it came from. I used to call him his middle name twice (like John John only it's a less common 1 syllable name) until he told me that was a "baby name". For a while I just called him by his full first name, while everyone calls him by an obvious nickname (imagine he's Christopher, and everyone but me calls him Chris), but now somehow I'm stuck on "Love". He tolerates it.

 

[LuvLDM]

Thanks for the responses. My MIL calls my husband "my darling sweetheart" and it drives him nuts.

I guess I'm in the minority because if my MIL called Dh "my darling sweetheart" we would probably both gag.

Terms of endearment are nice..."honey, dear, sweetheart".... but "my darling sweetheart" just sounds like something you say to your lover, not an adult child.