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QUESTION:
"I have a 5 year old who has a father she sees every other weekend/once a month. I have a partner who she is very close to and respects very much. Last night she called my partner “dada” and I told her “you have a dad already but we can figure out another name to call him,” to which she said “but I want him to be my dada”. She calls her dad “papa” and I would love for her to have a sweet name to call my partner but I’m not sure what would be considered appropriate. I want to respect the “dad” label her father has, even though my partner is much more involved in her life than her actual father is. I asked him what he’s comfortable and he didn’t know what to answer. What are some sweet names for a “step-father” figure that won’t take away from her father’s role? Thank you for your help!!"
TOP ANSWERS (AS SELECTED BY MODERATOR):
The following top answers have been selected by a moderator from hundreds of responses to the original question.
"Since she called her dad papa and wants to call step dad dad I would discuss with her dad and see what he thinks. Being it’s a different name he may not mind."
"Whatever she is comfortable with. That’s her decision, noone elses"
"Support your daughter. Is she wants to call him that then that’s her choice."
"I would let her call him dada. I mean your partner is there obviously taking on a fatherly roll so she feels comfortable calling him that. Talk to both men about how they feel about it."
"Let her call him whatever she wants. If she has a connection with him and wanted to call him Dada don’t make her feel like she’s wrong."
"Mine is 4 and calls her step dad daddy. But she also calls her birth dad daddy to. She just gets twice the love"
"Let her call him what she wants"
"Let her call her step dad whatever she wants. She will figure it out"
"Yes i say let your daugther call him with whatever she wants to call him…support her decision."
"My 5 year old took it upon himself to call my partner Daddy. He sees his dad every other weekend too and he refers to him as daddy too. He just says he’s lucky enough to have 2. It’s whatever makes the child happy"
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