Amazon does business in many different countries, and knows how to market to people all over the world. The Amazon Mom program started a few years ago, providing special discounts and fast shipping on items needed for babies. Yet why is it called “Amazon Mom?” Most primary caregivers are mothers, but there are plenty of children being raised by single fathers or two fathers: don’t they buy diapers, too?

This isn’t even really about insulted dads or political correctness. Parents who don’t like the Amazon Mom brand aren’t objecting to a discount on baby supplies because of a three-letter word. Here’s the thing: while Amazon has this program in many countries, and in other countries it’s not called Amazon Mom. It’s called Amazon Family. Why?

This cause has suddenly become popular because a dad and blogger who popularized the issue. Oren Miller found it funny but also problematic when he would receive e-mails addressed to him “as a mom.” Miller died last week, and other parents are taking up the Amazon Family cause in his honor.

Families come in different configurations, and there are many fathers who are primary caregivers. Some families even share child-raising responsibilities. This means that dads also know what brand of diapers to buy. For all of its mastery of data, why doesn’t Amazon get that not everyone who buys diapers is a mother?

We contacted Amazon and asked, very simply, why the name for the same program varies, even between countries that speak the same language. We’ll update this post when they get back to us.

Change the name of the Amazon Mom program to Amazon Family. [Change.org]
Why You Should Sign the Amazon Mom Petition [A Blogger and a Father]

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