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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/23487
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

This may seem like a duplicate of [Changing the way one addresses a character in a dialogue to create variation](https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/8814/changing-the-way-one-addresses-a-character-in-a-dialogue-to-create-variation/8844#8844), but it the answers there did not apply. My question is:

**When writing in the first person, is it appropriate to alternate terms of endearment, like using "Mom" and "Mother" interchangeably in both dialogue and narration?**

Example:

> "Quorraline!" A voice calls. Yes, I know it's a strange name. My _mom's_ an oceanographer and wanted to name me Corral but my dad wanted to name me Caroline. So they just combined the two names and spelled it with a Q to be different.
> 
> "I'm here, _Mother_," I call out. Seeing me, her features visibly relax. Her dark-brown arms reach out, and I step in to them.
> 
> "Mactaurum," My _mother_ called, she always seems to know who's coming inside the house. My brother entered the kitchen, frowning at _Mom_ calling him by his full name.

See, in this excerpt the narrator uses "My mom," "Mother," "Mom," and "My Mother" to refer to her mom. Because the narrator is speaking, do I have to refer to her mother in the same way to maintain consistency, or do I only have to refer her the same way in the dialogue itself?

I should add that Quorraline's brother only refers to their mother as "Mom" in conversations with their mother and in addressing her. Does her variance make her more dynamic or just inconsistent? Perhaps I'm just over thinking this, and how the protagonists refer to their parents isn't even noteworthy at all, but I would like it if someone were to shed some light on the issue and answer this question. Thank you!

Original score: 3