When my in-laws found out I was pregnant with my first LO, they started to throw around ideas for names they wanted to be called. The settled on "Nana" and "Papa," and I find it so annoying (but I don't really get along with them, so my opinion is probably tainted). Is it ok for Grandparents to pick their names? Anyone else's parents pick out their names?
-
Hm. That is kinda weird. But I guess if my ILs wanted LO to call them a specific way I wouldn't have an issue to it. But if they don't take to it I wouldn't force them either. I always find it sweeter when the child develops their own way of calling family.
-
Actually, I thought grandparents pretty much always picked their own names, but maybe that's just where I live. I kind of think it's fair since it's what their grandkids (who hopefully they will adore) will call them for the rest if their lives. I definitely wouldn't want anyone else telling me what my LO is going to call me, so maybe it's based on that concept? I'm sure it's more frustrating when you don't get along super well, though.
-
Hmm... I thought it was normal for the grandparents to pick names. I keep asking mine to pick something, but they won't bite!
I found a book one time that was just for babyboomers to pick their names... pretty funny since it was pretty big - how many names for Grandma and Grandpa can you have??? -
Forgot to add that, I know a lot of names that were changed or adjusted because the kiddos couldn't say it. For instance we couldn't say my grandma's name and it just got shortened to "O."
-
@MamaBehr: My parents have all done this. It's kind of silly, but not worth fighting over. My stepmom likes to be called "meemaw" which I think is ridiculous since she's not, in fact, 90. She's in her 40s!
-
My parents want to be called Grandpa and Nana, and his parents will be called the Albanian words for grandparents - Gjushi and Gjushja.
-
OK-I'm probably not the best source since I'm chinese and there are already distinct names for grandma and grandpa depending on paternal or maternal side.
But I don't remember my ILs requesting "special names" when BILs girls were born. IT was just whatever they ended up calling them. -
My parents picked their names when my SIL was expecting. My brother told them they could. DH doen't like them but our kids will call them that too. I don't like what our nephews call my FIL, but again it would be easier to just have one name between cousins.
-
One of my good friends had her MIL pick CoCo as her name b/c her sister was Sugar and she thought it would be cute if they were Sugar & CoCo. I thought that was odd.
I'd like my parents and IL's to pick something ahead of time so that they can be different. But I think that's just the planner/control freak in me :o) -
maybe it's regional? it's totally the norm here. grandparents always pick their names. of course, some kids come up with their own names anyway. my mom picked grammie for my nieces and nephew, and my dad is grandaddy.
-
Uggh my mom is going crazy trying to pick her 'grandma name!' We get along really well but it's driving me a but nuts! I think for her it has to do with the fact that she doesn't want the old lady associations she and others have with 'grandma.' She looks amazing but the fact is - she's going to be a grandma! I just let her do whatever she wants and figure the baby will probably call her whatever he/she wants/can pronounce anyway.
-
I think it's totally ok...as long as they don't want to be called Silver Unicorn or something far out like that. Obviously if LO will have final decision based on what she can pronounce. My mom wants to be called Nana and MIL wants to be called Memaw. I think Memaw is too country for this city girl, but hey that's what she wants.
The grandfathers don't care
-
This article seriously cracked me up!
http://jezebel.com/5924901/gdawg-miami-and-salsa-grandmas-these-days-dont-want-to-be-called-grandma
I sent it to my mom and she was mad, haha! I do think it helped her see she was being a wee bit ridiculous though!
-
That's pretty much normal for just about everyone I know, unless the kid just comes up with a different name out of nowhere. My parents are Na and Papa, DH's are Grandma and Grandpa (but they say it with a very southern accent, and it kind of drives me crazy.)
-
@MamaBehr: we had the same thing... However LO has 3 grandmas, 5 great grandmas, 1 grandpa and 5 great grandpas... so everyone was calling dibs on what they wanted to be called. Until this day (lo is almost 11 months) I still here " I've decided I want to be called..." So I finally said I think she will probably call you whatever she wants to call you, when she can talk. I found it quite annoying as well.
-
@JerricaBenton: that article is toooo funny!!
-
Our LO will be the first grandchild on both sides so we specifically asked our parents to let us know what they would like to be called. I think it's totally normal for them to pick their own grandparent names.
-
My nephews grandparents are called the same thing we called our grandparents-- so grandma and grandpa for my parents, oma and opa for her inlaws. I would assume it would be something similar for our kids, basically just tradition.
However if I was going to pick, I'd totally do nana-- it's one of the first words babies can say anyway
-
My parents wanted to be called Grammy and papa, but mr jacks is already Papa... But then our LO chose even more adorable names for them!
-
My mom wants to be called "apong", Ilokano for grandmother. The thing is, my mom doesn't really speak Ilokano well and although my grandparents are fluent, my mom was raised in the city and never really spoke the language. I'm not exactly sure if it's the whole proper term for grandma either.
My ILs haven't picked out their names but we just assumed they want to be called "farmor" and "farfar", Swedish for paternal grandmother and grandfather.
-
I never really thought about it. My sister had kids first, and they just called my parents "grandma" and "pappy." I don't think there was a discussion; my sister and I call our own grandmothers "grandma," and I think "pappy" came from my step-nephew, who was around for years before my sister had her own kids. Now that I have a baby, it makes sense for him to use the same names my sister's kids use.
My mother in law is another story. This is her first grandchild. She asked how my sister's kids address my mom, and when I told her, she immediately said, "OK. Then I'll be Nana."
No clue what our son will call my father in law. I have even less clue what he'll use for my in-laws' spouses (both are remarried).
-
We will let our son choose what he calls his grandparents. As an example, my son is the 4th grandkid on my husband's side. My MIL goes by the name the first grandkid called her 9 years ago, and honestly, we don't see the reason why our son should call her that. We refer to her as "grossi" and she hates it. I get a personal thrill out if it every time, lol. I am a mean girl, yes, I know. I guess she didn't see herself as a grandmother at the age of 47 so she didn't want to be referred to as one.
-
I don't think it's weird at all for them to choose, but like others have said, maybe it's regional? I would feel weird assigning names to my parents and ILs. I'd rather they choose what they want to be called. But my problem is that my family won't! They all want to be Grandma and Grandpa. Between all our parents and step-parents, my LO has three grandmas and three grandpas. It drives me crazy! I'm hoping that when she starts to talk she'll put her own spin on the names so we can tell them apart.
-
My parents and inlaws chose their names. I thought it was their names.... they should pick.
But I've also heard that when the baby starts talking, they'll often pick whatever name they want to call their grandparents anyway!
-
I definitely thought it was normal for grandparents to choose their names. I've been harassing my parents to pick, but they refuse to until she's here. They're only 42 and 44, so they think if they pick a name it will age them prematurely, lol.
-
I also think it is normal for them to pick...as long as it is not something weird, I guess?
-
I thought it was normal for grandparents to pick their names. I just hope non of my parents or ILs want to be called Memaw. I have a Memaw and a great Memaw and have some negative associations with the name.
-
I dont see anything wrong with them choosing their own names.
-
My parents let my sister's kids choose what they are being called: at first it was "ma" and "pa" now it seems to be "grandma name" and "grandpa".
DD calls all of her grandparents "papa" regardless of their gender. My MIL insists on being called "nana" which I find annoying especially because we are not close to her (distance or relationship wise). -
I always thought that's how it worked -- grandparents pick what they want to be called. But like you mentioned, in some cultures there are already names for that so it's unnecessary. Anyway, I asked my dad what he wanted to be called and he looked at me like I was nuts and said, "uh, what's wrong with Grandpa?" Point taken, thanks dad.
-
Also wanted to add. While we asked our parents to pick their names we all know there is a good chance the baby could end up coming up with something completely different and it sticks. One of my little cousins calls his grandfather from the other side of his family by his name "Bob". He heard everyone else calling him Bob, and it's an easy name to say... so he just went with it. It cracks me up.
-
I don't think it's weird, in fact, that's what most of my friends' parents have done for their grandkids. My mom and step-dad chose Fritz and Gigi, my dad chose Grandpa, and my ILs chose Pop and Nunu.
-
I think it can actually be a really good thing--my brother and I always called my grandfather a really random name that just stuck for some reason, but my cousins called him something else, and it was a little bit confusing when the cousins all got together! if the grandparent chooses the name, it's prob the same for all the grandchildren
-
Absolutely, I thought all grandparents pick their own name!
My mom chose Mamie, my dad "chose PawPaw (we gave it to him and he didn't like it, but his deadline to change was when Baby S was born, now he loves it).
Mr. S's mom chose Nola after consulting a site with lots of grandma names. Mr.S's dad just wanted plain old grandpa
-
Just have to add that baby S is starting to babble and his first "word" was pawpaw - he says it for my dad all the time.
-
My parents picked out what they wanted to be called (grandma & papa) so my little lady will call them the same, and same with DH's, she will call them what our niece on that sides does (classic grandma & grandpa)
-
lil' CB calls both sets of grandparents variations on the korean words for "grandma" and "grandpa". the ones for my parents, he came up with on his own while trying to pronounce the actual words, and my ILs came up with their own.
on another note, the hands-down best grandparent name i have heard was from one of my students...she calls her grandma, "Glamma." as in "glamorous grandma." haha!
-
@JerricaBenton: I loved that article! I'm tempted to FB it but I know too many aunties that fall into the hip granny, not-wanting-to-be-called-grandma role!
-
my mom wants to be called Gigi and I just can't do it... I told her that it's between her and my daughter, but I'm not going to make it happen for her
Subscribe to our newsletter
- Google Plus
- Stumbleupon
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Pinterest
- Favorite0
45 comments