23-year-old colleague repeatedly calls 29-year-old supervisor 'mom', gets upset when behavior is called out in a meeting: 'She said I should lighten up'

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Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Aug 5, 2025 9:00 PM EDT

In the average workplace, one of the most crucial professional relationships an employee has is the one with whoever directly supervises them. More often than not, they are going to be the person who reports your performance to the higher-ups and dictates whether or not your experience in the workplace is a pleasant one. Unless they are putting you in an unacceptable position, it pays to play nice and keep the peace where possible. 

Nonetheless, that doesn't stop some people from testing the boundaries with those who manage them. Sometimes this stems from a place of jealousy; other times, it is just plain immature. Whatever the cause may be, these types rarely respond well to getting checked on their behavior. It is a challenge from a management perspective to handle it in the right way, especially if the manager in question has never dealt with a similar kind of situation before.

 

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  • 01

    AITA for embarrassing my coworker after she kept calling me “mom” at work?

    I'm 29 and work in a pretty relaxed corporate office. We can wear jeans, play music while we work, it's casual but still professional. I've been at the company for four years and was recently promoted to a team lead position. One of our newer hires, a 23-year-old named Emma, started this weird habit of calling me Mom in meetings and even over email. She'd say things like Mom said this is due today or Ask Mom if we can leave early. At first I just laughed it off, but after a couple of weeks it re
    via bubblegumstardust

  • This was an issue that one team leader realized she had to address when her younger colleague developed a habit of jokingly calling her ‘mom’. After multiple incidents, she privately told the 23-year-old that she wasn't comfortable with this nickname. She shrugged off this interaction.

    The problem got taken to the next level when the coworker called her mom during a meeting with their mutual manager and some other colleagues from their department. The supervisor publicly reprimanded her for the comment, leading her to stop talking to her, and her manager to tell her she should have handled it with more tact. She wanted to know if she had taken things too far.

  • 02
    Cheezburger Image 10538376960
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 03
    Last week we were in a meeting with our manager and a few people from another department. Out of nowhere she said something like Mom, do we have to stay late again. I was caught off guard and honestly kind of embarrassed. So I responded that I'd prefer she stop calling me that, because I'm not her mom and I didn't raise her with that lack of professionalism. The room went quiet and things got a little awkward.
    via bubblegumstardust
  • 04
    Cheezburger Image 10538377216
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 05
    Afterwards my manager pulled me aside and said he understood why I was frustrated, but I should have handled it more tactfully. Now Emma isn't speaking to me and apparently told someone I humiliated her. Some coworkers are on my side, others think I was too harsh. I really don't think I was being ride. I was just fed up.. for calling her out the way I did? ΑΙΤΑ
    via bubblegumstardust
  • 06
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    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 07

    Outsiders sympathized with her reaction to the comment.

    ShoddyMove6054 NTA. She kept ignoring your boundaries after you were clear about them. She embarrassed herself, honestly. You just finally put your foot down.
    via ShoddyMove6054
  • 08
    bubblegumstardust OP Thank you, I gave her a heads-up weeks ago. If she wants to play around, that's on her but not in a meeting with our manager.
    via bubblegumstardust
  • 09
    WaryScientist NTA - I would've chastised my manager for allowing the unprofessional behavior in the first place, and that you DID talk to her privately but because management allows it, she didn't respect you enough to stop.
    via WaryScientist
  • 10
    gastropodia42 NTA She called you mom. You scolded her like she was a little girl.
    via gastropodia42
  • 11
    MeFolly A joke stops being a joke as soon as the other person tells you it is not acceptable.
    via MeFolly
  • 12
    Reaction Either6684 You're not her mom, you're her team lead. That kind of nickname might fly with friends, but it's completely unprofessional in the workplace. Good on you for standing up for yourself.
    via ReactionEither6684
  • 13
    Global-Fact7752 NTA...I totally agree with you..you tried to address it privately....she blew you off..and as her " mom" you lesson..Your manager is wrong. taught her a
    via Global-Fact7752
  • 14
    ABskiing NTA - now she isn't speaking to you? Sounds so emotionally immature. I would talk to your manager about that (continued) lack of professionalism as in you expect her to act like an adult.
    via ABskiing
  • 15
    Akasgotu NTA. Her calling you mom is a patronizing way to undermine your authority. I suggest that, in future, if anyone tries to take liberties with how they address you, that you shut it down immediately and definitively. The societal expectation for women to face offensive behavior with an awkward chuckle and brush it off should have d d out long ago.
    via Akasgotu
  • 16
    Square_Band9870 yup. 100%. It's an insult. It's tied into some negative cr p about female leaders. It's basically a new version of "bossy" as a pejorative. Plus it's borderline agist - even though OP isn't even 30 - and the worker is calling her old. NTA and OP should ask for a meeting with her in the presence of HR to clarify this isn't funny or appropriate, I asked you to stop, you did it again in a meeting.
    via Square_Band9870
  • 17
    FatChance68 NTA and I would make sure your managers are aware that you had already spoken to her privately about the issue and she proceeded to continue calling you mom anyways. She was completely unprofessional. Going forward, document the request in an e-mail if a similar issue arises.
    via FatChance68
  • 18
    Maxwell Street NTA. She embarrassed herself.
    via Maxwell_Street
  • 19
    Emotional_Bonus_934 You needed to tell your manager tht you talked to her and she brushed it off. She's completely unprofessional. Time for HR report
    via Emotional_Bonus_934
  • 20
    mdelarhyme I'm 100% on your side, but the reality is she set you up. She baited you and you took the bait. You reacted emotionally instead of responding rationally. It would have been better if you had paused, given her a quizzical look and continued with the meeting. Then talked to your boss after about how you were concerned because you had already asked her to stop calling you that and she was choosing to continue to do it. Sorry you walked into that one. Learn from it and maybe gather your t
    via mdelarhyne
  • 21
    CankerLord Yeah, OP's wondering if she was justified in escalating. Meanwhile her real problem is that the professional place for escalating things like this is in an HR office, not in the middle of a meeting. This feels good, but that's not the goal.
    via CankerLord
  • 22
    PurplePlodder1945 With hindsight, the correct phrasing would've been 'I've had this conversation with you previously, I'm not your mother and am uncomfortable with you using that term'. Then the others would've known you've already told her. But hindsight is a wonderful thing when you're put on the spot Is casually put it about that you'd already had the conversation and were just shocked that she continued with the behaviour. Should spread lovely on the grapevine. And tell your manager! ΕΤΑ ΝΤΑ
    via PurplePlodder1945
  • 23
    artsyfartsyMinion I would write a formal report with all the information including previous warnings. Lodge it with HR and request that she attend training on professionalism in the workplace as well as training on emotional intelligence, as she seems to be lacking. Don't worry that she is not talking to you, she is being childish in line with her emotional intelligence quotient. And make sure your manager is on board. Ask him if he would accept staff calling him daddy and asking inappropriate q
    via artsyfrtsyMinion

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