I (19F) have been dating my boyfriend (23M) for almost a year now. We moved in together a few months ago and everything was fine… until his mom came to visit for a weekend. I was polite, respectful, helped cook dinner, cleaned up, tried to be the perfect guest. At the end of the night, she sat me down and said, very seriously, “You can call me Mama. All his girlfriends do.”

I laughed, thinking she was joking. She wasn’t.

I awkwardly said I’m more comfortable with first names and she looked at me like I’d kicked her dog. Later that night, my boyfriend told me I should “just do it” because it “makes her feel included” and that his ex used to call her Mama from day one. That she still messages her sometimes. (??)

I said that’s weird and I’m not going to copy what his ex did just to make his mom happy. He said it’s a small thing to ask and that I’m “making a big deal out of nothing.” Now his mom won’t talk to me, and he’s acting cold and distant. Yesterday he even slept on the couch.

Apparently I’m “disrespectful to family.” But like… is it really that deep? AITAH for not wanting to call someone else’s mom Mama?

Also - no I don’t look anything like his ex, if that’s what she was hoping for.