Why do kids call their parents ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’?

One anthropologist found 1,072 similar words for ‘mom’ and ‘dad’ in the world’s languages. It turns out a mix of biology, culture and encouragement from parents explains this phenomenon.

By: Bethany Bustamante Van Vleet, Arizona State University and Denise Bodman, Arizona State University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: June 7, 2026

Words: 1,009

Last Updated: 1 month, 2 weeks ago

Body Text Preview

By Bethany Bustamante Van Vleet, Arizona State University and Denise Bodman, Arizona State University

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com.

Why do most kids call their parents “Mom” and “Dad”? – Henry E., age 9, Somerville, Massachusetts

Once, a long time ago, one of us, Bethany, fell behind at the grocery store …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.

About

FAQ

Email Us