What I am curious about is the word 'Mom'. Is that what children
actually say? for that matter do they say that yucky word in England
nowadays?

I don't see what's yucky about it? It's just a word, for crying out loud. It's
been around forever. Ever seen any old Ameriican sitcoms? Even Beaver called
his mother "Mom"--and that was forty years ago.
FYI, if you turn the word MOM upside down, you get WOW, which my children said
stood for "Wicked Old Witch."

Sherry