My dad keeps calling my wife the wrong name

A 32-year-old man is facing a challenging situation where his 66-year-old father keeps calling his wife by the wrong name. Despite his father’s best intentions, the repeated mistake has started to upset his wife, who initially tried to be understanding. After confronting his father about it, the situation remains awkward, as both his wife and father are emotionally impacted. The husband is unsure how to handle this ongoing issue without causing further tension. Read the full story below.

‘ My dad keeps calling my wife the wrong name’

My (32m) wife (29f) have been together 4 years and got married over the summer. Over the past two years, my dad (66m) has called my wife the wrong name 5 times. It’s not intentional, he’s just getting old.

The first two times she really didn’t care and was a good sport about it, but understandably she’s getting more upset as it continues to happen, as it makes her feel very small.

After the third time it happened I confronted my dad. He was really embarrassed and knows it’s a factor of his old age. It was hard to see how embarrassed he was. What do I do? My wife gets really upset, my dad gets really embarrassed, and it appears to be something we’re just going to have to deal with?

TL;DR My dad keeps calling my wife the wrong name and I don’t know how to make it easier for everyone

Take a look at the comments from fellow users:

theunrefinedspinster −  Does you dad have memory problems with other things, or just this? 66 isn’t necessarily old enough to blame “old age.”

paintedLady318 −  So, if both you and your wife understand that it is cognitive decline causing this, why on earth is she hurt by it and how is it possibly helpful to correct and embarrass your father?

When you speak about your wife to your father, say her name often, but not as a correction. Let the man enjoy his visits with you instead of being ridiculously confronted about something he can’t help and then reprimanded like a child.

MyHairs0nFire2023 −  I’m with everyone else – 66 is not even retirement age in America any longer.  Barring some early onset Alzheimer’s or dementia, 66 is YOUNG to be having memory problems so bad that you can’t remember a family member’s name.  And if it was that, he’d be forgetting other things as well – even getting your name wrong occasionally as well.  

OneDeep87 −  Is he calling her a similar name? Like her name is Kathy but he keeps calling her Katie? Is he calling her a name of your ex girlfriend? I could see if you dated a ex for years and he just not use to the new girl name. Which is disrespectful.

You should figure out who name is he calling her by. Maybe your wife looks like someone he dated. Or maybe she looks like a dead relative. Or maybe he hates someone with her real name so he keeps changing it.

mynuname −  To get someone’s name wrong about once a year is not crazy. That is just a simple mistake.

marxam0d −  Does your dad have issues with his memory otherwise? Is he getting treatment for a disorder? Why is your wife so upset? Is he calling her your ex’s name or something that would be specifically bothersome?

UnquantifiableLife −  66 is not old. I think your dad needs to see a neurologist.

Responsible_Cream359 −  66 is not old enough to blame on “old age.” Does he have diagnosed dementia? If not, please bring him to the doctor. There are advancements in medicine that can help slow the progression of this horrible disease.

Molatov_Bubblebath −  Sixty six isn’t old and someone that age and healthy definitely wouldn’t be having memory issues at this age. Take your dad to the doctor as soon as you can. It’s could be something more serious.

Bus27 −  I disagree with people who say that he’s too young for “old people” problems. Over age 60, there’s a wide spectrum of aging. Yes, there are plenty of people who are in great shape, out living their lives. There are also people who are frail, infirm, or experiencing difficulties mentally at that age.

My own parents are around the age of your dad, and one is in terrible shape while the other is rising his bicycle miles and miles. I would still suggest he sees someone about memory difficulties, as that should be checked out. He should also apologize to your wife.

It’s never easy when family dynamics lead to these awkward moments. How have you navigated similar situations with loved ones where unintentional mistakes caused tension? Share your experiences below!