https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 13 May 2026 04:48:58 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-is-allowed-to-designate-people-as-aunties-and-uncles#post-1267160 Sat, 07 Dec 2013 19:11:51 +0000 Crystal 1267160@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It's not a *huge* deal, but I'd still be annoyed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-is-allowed-to-designate-people-as-aunties-and-uncles#post-1267156 Sat, 07 Dec 2013 19:06:26 +0000 MoonMoon 1267156@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>In a lot of cultures and languages, aunt and uncle are any older people, so to me it seems really neutral. That being said, I think parents should get veto power if anything makes then unhappy or uncomfortable! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-is-allowed-to-designate-people-as-aunties-and-uncles#post-1267155 Sat, 07 Dec 2013 19:05:50 +0000 mrbee 1267155@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Don't really care too much either way! If it's someone we don't really get along with, we usually don't see much of them anyway! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-is-allowed-to-designate-people-as-aunties-and-uncles#post-1267144 Sat, 07 Dec 2013 18:56:14 +0000 chopsuey 1267144@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have our kids call friends and family aunt/uncle. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-is-allowed-to-designate-people-as-aunties-and-uncles#post-1267129 Sat, 07 Dec 2013 18:38:25 +0000 SweetMamaM 1267129@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We'll decide. At the moment I have two very close friends in mind (and DH is the same) who will be "Aunty" or "Uncle". We'll encourage our LOs to call our friends by the friend's preference, either first name or Mr/Mrs. We operate the same way with the teacher aides at school, e.g they establish a preference and then the kids call them what the preference is - Mrs. P or Aimee. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-is-allowed-to-designate-people-as-aunties-and-uncles#post-1267125 Sat, 07 Dec 2013 18:31:44 +0000 SugarplumsMom 1267125@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was raised with calling every older person an auntie or uncle, it's a sign of respect. I personally think it's sweet, but get how other people may think it's weird. </p> <p>A friend of mine refers to her son as my DD's big bro. I love that! Especially since DD might be an only. I think it's super sweet, and as much as I want to call new friend's kiddos the same, I get it's kind of a cultural thing - I don't do it in fear of weirding them out. But I wouldn't mind at all if anyone designated names for themselves or their friends. I think it's nice :happy: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-is-allowed-to-designate-people-as-aunties-and-uncles#post-1267120 Sat, 07 Dec 2013 18:19:08 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 1267120@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm okay with using aunt and uncle to denote people who a close family member (parents, grands, and real aunts &amp; uncles) is very familiar with. I know my mom was more familiar with the women my grandma told me to call aunt, but I never heard my mom actually refer to these same ladies. Later I learned Ms. Gertrude to my mom was Aunt Gertrude to me. </p> <p>At some point, when children are older and need to be introduced to these same almost-family type people I think introductions should be "this is my very good friend, you may call her Aunt Betty". I thought my grandma had 10 sisters based on all the aunts *I* had.</p> <p>However, if you are uncomfortable I would just say you would like adults to be called XYZ. Period. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-is-allowed-to-designate-people-as-aunties-and-uncles#post-1267112 Sat, 07 Dec 2013 18:11:05 +0000 Smurfette 1267112@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Polish: Partly a southern thing but I also want her to know family from friends if that makes any sense. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-is-allowed-to-designate-people-as-aunties-and-uncles#post-1267109 Sat, 07 Dec 2013 18:09:55 +0000 yoursilverlining 1267109@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sunny: this is our system too; and was ours growing up as well. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-is-allowed-to-designate-people-as-aunties-and-uncles#post-1267103 Sat, 07 Dec 2013 17:57:09 +0000 AprilFool 1267103@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Cherrybee: haha ok that's just weird then! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-is-allowed-to-designate-people-as-aunties-and-uncles#post-1267100 Sat, 07 Dec 2013 17:54:33 +0000 Cherrybee 1267100@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@AprilFool: This lady is in her nineties and my inlaws still call her Mrs [herlastname]!!! :happy: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-is-allowed-to-designate-people-as-aunties-and-uncles#post-1267096 Sat, 07 Dec 2013 17:51:43 +0000 AprilFool 1267096@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Cherrybee: Most of our friends who want to to be called aunty decided themselves but I sort of see it as a situation where to child is too close to call them mrs but shouldn't just call them by their first name. If your LO is going to see this person every week and have somewhat of a relationship with them mrs is very formal. </p> <p>I was only going to have relatives be Aunty/Uncle but I only have one unmarried bother and my friends are like family. So she has lots of Aunties. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-is-allowed-to-designate-people-as-aunties-and-uncles#post-1267093 Sat, 07 Dec 2013 17:51:03 +0000 Cherrybee 1267093@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Polish: All of my parents friends were Mr and Mrs to me growing up. It's a respect thing. At 32, I still call my parent's friends and my friends' parents Mr and Mrs unless they specifically ask me not to. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-is-allowed-to-designate-people-as-aunties-and-uncles#post-1267092 Sat, 07 Dec 2013 17:48:10 +0000 Mrs. Polish 1267092@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Smurfette: we have some friends who have their kids address us as Ms and Mr. Just curious, why do you prefer this? My parents didn't have me do this and it's a fairly new thing to me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-is-allowed-to-designate-people-as-aunties-and-uncles#post-1267091 Sat, 07 Dec 2013 17:46:42 +0000 Mrs. Polish 1267091@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We don't care about aunts and uncles, but MIL got married shortly after lo was born and we aren't big fans of new FIL. She insists on calling him Grandpa K even though we've told her that he isn't "Grandpa".</p> <p>So I see where you're coming from. we call my bff "Aunt I" because neither of us have sisters. And because i get to make those decisions. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-is-allowed-to-designate-people-as-aunties-and-uncles#post-1267087 Sat, 07 Dec 2013 17:40:06 +0000 Cherrybee 1267087@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Smurfette: Well that was the system we were going with but.... apparently not now! Oh well. It's not the end of the world. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-is-allowed-to-designate-people-as-aunties-and-uncles#post-1267082 Sat, 07 Dec 2013 17:37:54 +0000 Smurfette 1267082@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We will decide! Going to call friends Mrs/Ms/Mr and only real Aunts and Uncles will be called that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-is-allowed-to-designate-people-as-aunties-and-uncles#post-1267078 Sat, 07 Dec 2013 17:34:00 +0000 sunny 1267078@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>All of our adult friends are Aunty or Uncle. That's how I was raised too! Parents of friends can be either Mr/Mrs or Uncle/Aunty. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-is-allowed-to-designate-people-as-aunties-and-uncles#post-1267075 Sat, 07 Dec 2013 17:30:26 +0000 Cherrybee 1267075@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: Digging deep, it might be because my return to work date is LOOMING! We booked her part time place at nursery on Friday (and I got really tearful). MIL is having LO for three days a week - I guess I'm just jealous that MIL is basically inheriting my girl. Sob sob sob. I WANT TO BE THE MUMMY WHO DECIDES WHO HER AUNTIES ARE AND HANGS OUT WITH HER EVERY DAY - WAAAAH!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-is-allowed-to-designate-people-as-aunties-and-uncles#post-1267072 Sat, 07 Dec 2013 17:26:41 +0000 Foodnerd81 1267072@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We actually haven't decided what she will call our friends, but yeah, it should be us who decides. But I will give the grandparents leeway with that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/who-is-allowed-to-designate-people-as-aunties-and-uncles#post-1267066 Sat, 07 Dec 2013 17:19:16 +0000 Cherrybee 1267066@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Following on from the grandparents experiencing milestones thread, I was wondering what people's take on this is: </p> <p>The other week, we were at my inlaws and one of my MIL's friends turned up. My MIL crowed "Oh look, it's Auntie Linda" to my daughter. I thought nothing of it but then, a few days ago, my MIL was telling me that she asked the elderly lady they visit every week on the day they look after LO (she's their friend's elderly mother) if she would prefer to be called Auntie [firstname] or Mrs [lastname] (she chose Auntie [firstname]). For the record, I've never met this lady. </p> <p>I'm not upset about it (it really doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things) but I can't help but think it's a dreadful cheek. Surely DH and I get to decide: </p> <p>a) IF she is going to call non-relatives Auntie and Uncle </p> <p>b) WHO is going to get that title. </p> <p>How would you feel about it? Just wondering! </p>