Still, Italian mothers are a force to be reckoned with. They treat cultural traditions with reverence and show their love with bountiful family meals. They can be fiercely protective of their children, and especially over their sons, who tend to live at home much longer than in other countries.
Italian parents generally have a lot of authority over their children throughout their lives. Most Italians seek autonomy and independence, but due to the economic climate, many stay at home for years into their adulthood. Indeed, Italians leave their parents' home at one of the highest ages in Europe.
"Italian parents are seen as more demanding in rules and authorizations. They take more punitive actions when rules are broken and are less tolerant of peer socialization. They uphold family regulations and require their adolescents to ask for authorizations until a much later age."
The name almost all children call their mother (madre) in Italian, no matter their age, is mamma, which translates as mom / mommy in American English or mum / mummy in British English. Three possible variations are the affectionate diminutives mammi, mami and mammina.
Italian Terms of Endearment for Children
The first one that comes to mind is “piccolo” for a boy or “piccola” for a girl, which literally means “little”. “Mimmo” or “mimma” is another way to say “child” but it is more affectionate than “bambino” or “bambina”. A lot of baby nicknames come from the animal kingdom.
Amore is the Italian word for “love”, so “my love” is amore mio.
Famiglia is one of the most essential characteristics of Italian culture and traditions. Italians are extremely family-oriented, and it is common to live with extended family such as grandparents, aunts/uncles, and cousins.
Italians will on average continue living with mum and dad until they reach 30.1 years of age - the fourth highest figure in the EU. Only millennials from Croatia, Malta, and Slovakia wait longer, while Scandinavians leave home the earliest.
Some important values and aspects of Italian lifestyle are family and spending time with them, religion and maintaining Catholic traditions, and the pleasure of eating good meals prepared with love and dedication. Gestures and body language are important in the Italian language to emphasize certain ideas.
The word for wife in Italian is moglie (feminine plural: mogli), which comes from the Latin mŭlier meaning woman, wife or mistress.
signorina. / (ˌsiːnjɔːˈriːnə, Italian siɲɲoˈrina) / nounplural -nas or -ne (Italian -ne) an unmarried Italian woman: a title of address equivalent to Miss when placed before a name or madam or miss when used alone.
Cara. Just like caro, the feminine cara (dear) is a little more reserved than amore and tesoro but it's still a safe choice. You may also hear the variations cara mia or mia cara (my dear) which, like the masculine version, can also be used with a bit of sarcasm.
The Italian culture is commonly associated with art, music and food. It is the homeland of the Roman Empire, the Roman Catholic Church and the main center of the Renaissance, which flourished through Europe for centuries.
Italian parents seem less willing to negotiate with their children in this area, preferring to yell as punishment (almost 60% vs 25% global average). Italian parents, like other parents around the world, are most afraid of the risks relating to their children's digital lives (over 60%).
Basic Etiquette
It is common for Italian friends and families to kiss on the cheek when they meet, irrespective of their gender. Stand up out of respect when an older person enters the room. It is important to dress neatly and respectfully. Cover your mouth when yawning or sneezing.
What is the Italy Age of Consent? The Age of Consent in Italy is 14 years old. The age of consent is the minimum age at which an individual is considered legally old enough to consent to participation in sexual activity.
Italian lifestyle is largely imitated all over the world. It is made up of small and big habits that create a peculiar and sought-after image. Italians value and celebrate all aspects of life, such as spending time with family and friends, eating and drinking well, and enjoying beauty in all its forms.
Around 5% of the Italian population wakes before six in the morning, 7.1% on an average weekday, 4.7% on Saturday and 3.2% on Sunday.
The iconic traditional patriarchal Italian family, where mum stayed home and took care of 6 children, no longer exists. Today, both parents have jobs, and most Italian families have one or two children. Three kids per family unit are the absolute max one can encounter, and there are a lot of single-parent families too.
Italian family life can be characterized by loyalty and closeness. From the immediate, nuclear family to more extended relatives, Italians tend to remain as a close unit through several generations.
For Italian families, among the most popular daily leisure activities are watching television, listening to the radio, reading newspapers, and going to the cinema; reading books and engaging in sports are less common among the majority of people.
Sei unico – you are my only one (lit.) Ti amo profondamente – I am deeply in love with you (lit.) Sono follemente innamorato di te – I am crazily in love with you (lit.) Ti amo alla follia– I am crazily in love with you (lit.)