It’s no secret that there are different cultures and languages around the world.

Even English has extreme variables when it comes to context and slang, as it is spoken and various countries around the world.

This dad is a Brit living in America with a young daughter.

I’m an Englishman living in america and have been for the last 8 years.

My wife and I have a daughter who is 6, I have a few pet names for her which are very common and normal where i’m from, they are c**k/c**ker/c**kle.

My parents used them for me when I was growing up, as did aunts/uncles and also parents of my friends, like I said, common and normal.

When he called her a common bit of endearing slang, his mother-in-law flew off the handle.

Anyway, about a week or so ago I get home from work and greet my daughter with a “Yoreet c**k, how was your day at school…” etc.

My MIL was visiting at the time and obviously overheard it, but didn’t react in the moment.

Later on that evening, after she’d gone home, she gives me a ring and starts giving me an earful about how i’m “s**ualising” my daughter by giving her “such a disgusting pet name.”

He banned her from the house unless she apologizes.

I argued back telling her it was disgusting that she would even attribute my pet name for my own daughter to me trying to s**ualise her and until I get an apology, she’s banned from my house and from seeing my daughter.

His wife supports him.

All week since, my phone and facebook have been blowing up with relatives on my wife’s side telling me how inappropriate, evil and sadistic i’m being with my pet name for my daughter and for denying her access to my home.

(MIL refuses to apologise and we were supposed to host christmas dinner this year, so until I get an apology, she isn’t coming for that).

A few have asked what my wife thinks of the name, I answered this in a comment, but since it’s probably buried by now, i’ll re-iterate here.

She’s fine with it, we ended up going over it years ago when she came to my grandparents house for christmas about a year after we first got together.

She overheard my uncle call my cousin c**k at dinner and asked me about it afterwards.

She’s also supportive of the MIL’s ban from the house until I get an apology.

Does Reddit? This is about to get interesting, I think…

The top comment says he’s being obtuse.

But this fellow Brit points out that dialects are hard to shake.

This commenter says cool but time and place matter.

This person says you should be able to be yourself in your own home.

They do all agree his MIL could have handled things better.

 

I agree he can say whatever he wants at home.

Things could get awkward as she gets older, though.