My sister-in-law refers to herself as 'mama' to my son; now he calls her that

"This is concerning. I would consider moving away. Do you think they would try to kidnap your child?" 

A recent post in an online forum has raised urgent concerns after a mum revealed she found her son calling his aunt and uncle 'mama' and 'dadda'. 

The woman begins by explaining that her SIL and BIL are kid-free, a fact that has been difficult for them to accept. 

They've since developed a deep bond with their nephew, her son, often babysitting and playing a significant part in his life. 

Want to join the family? Sign up to our Kidspot newsletter for more stories like this. 

Image: IStock

RELATED: Grandma invites 11 people to visit newborn without asking

She asked, "Who's your mama?"

However, a recent incident has raised concerns for the mum.

Upon picking up her baby boy from their house, she found her SIL referring to herself as 'mama' to the child, who then called her 'mama' – his first time using the word.

"She asked him, "Who's your mama? I'm your mama?" the woman wrote.

"She then pointed to her husband, my BIL, and referred to him as dadda."

The OP, shocked and confused, confronted them, leading to a heated argument. She told them not to refer to themselves as that ever again, to which they got extremely angry and defensive.

Now, she's left questioning her reaction, especially considering their child-free situation. 

"AITA for asking my sister-in-law to stop treating my son as if it's theirs?"

RELATED: I discovered my wife named our baby after her first love

"Deeply unhealthy and threatening"

The post sparked a variety of comments, with users offering their perspectives and advice. 

One commenter empathised with the SIL and BIL's struggles but warned of the potential harm in their actions, saying, "It is deeply unhealthy and threatening for them to be trying to displace you as [the child's] parents."

"This could lead to confusion, attachment problems, and resentment in the child," they added.

Another user raised a more alarming possibility: "This is concerning. I would consider moving away. Do you think they would try to kidnap your child?"

This comment was followed by another, suggesting the possibility of the SIL and BIL using legal means to gain custody. The commenter brought up a case where a couple falsely accused the parents of abuse so they could seek guardianship.

Then this idea was further echoed by this comment, "Most child abductions are by someone known to the family."

And then someone suggested documenting these sorts of events, highlighting the risk of false Child Protection reports.

One of the more chilling responses noted the danger of not one, but two people sharing a delusion (the SIL and BIL), advising the mum to go no contact for safety.

They said, "This is more worrisome than you may think. Having one person with a delusion (in this case, it is often the mother) can be explained (though not tolerated). But here you have TWO people living the delusion. This is a recipe for disaster and I would be very careful; certainly going full no-contact for a long while."

Then this person gave a final piece of advice: "Put up cameras around your house... Their reaction and getting so angry is a huge red flag. This is unhinged behaviour and they could escalate."

Originally published as My sister-in-law refers to herself as 'mama' to my son; now he calls her that