I must have been in my early to mid teens before I knew either of my parents first names. I was quite an immature lad, slow in growing up and still thought of my mum and dad as “mum” and “dad” and nothing else until I was quite old.
Our two on the other hand are a bit different. The boy went through a brief phase of calling me “Alex” but it passed in a week or two. Fifi is being a bit more determined though. For months now she’s called me “Alex” most of the time, more so when she’s angry, cross with me or annoyed. And it’s beginning to grate. I don’t want to be “Alex” to my two little ones, I’m Alex to the rest of the world. I want to be “Daddy” to the pair of them for a long time to come.