Squark wrote:
> Hello everyone.
> 
> How well are the casual / respectful forms of words for family members
> distinguished in the writing? For instance, I saw both 母さん and
> お母さん written. Are both of the forms correct and pronounced
> おかあさん? If only 母 is written, is it always pronounced
> はは, or can it stand for おかあさん as well?

母さん is かあさん.  I see it, at the moment, as mainly a term of 
address.  母さんうるさい！  "Stop bothering me, Mom."

お母さん can be "Mother" or "your mother" or "you" (to a non-relative), 
depending on context.

> Another question: is おかあさま　more respectful than
> おかあさん, or equally respectful? Also, is it correct to write it
> 母様 / お母様 (this is what IME makes of it)?

おかあさま is more respectful.  I think less likely to be used in 
addressing one's own parent than おかあさん, except in hoity-toity families.

母様 is かあさま.  I googled 母様, expecting to find it most always 
preceded by お, but I was wrong.  I found examples like 中一母様, which 
I suppose addresses mothers of first-year middle school students, and 母 
様 in a diary entry.  So I guess the order of repsectfulness must be お 
母様 > 母様 > お母さん > 母さん.  Where おふくろ fits in there, I don't 
know.

Bart