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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To not want DC to use Nan/Nana

294 replies

treehousepicture · 10/08/2015 09:52

I have just never liked this word and think I prefer grandma or similar but is it up to the person what they are called?

OP posts:
StillStayingClassySanDiego · 10/08/2015 09:54

What if they don't want to be called Grandma/Granny?

Salmotrutta · 10/08/2015 09:55

Well, I'm a grandparent and I decided what I wanted to be called.

After all, I'm the one who has to be called it.

It's no different to asking people to call/not call you by a shortened form of your first name or whatever - in my opinion anyway.

x2boys · 10/08/2015 09:56

my mum wanted grandma so thats what her grandchildren call her personal preferance i suppose

Bettercallsaul1 · 10/08/2015 09:56

I sympathise with this, OP, as I have never liked these terms for grandparents either. However, I would stand by the principle that it is the person herself who should choose the name they are called, so if a grandparent has asked to be called Nan/Nana, I would accept it.

Esmum07 · 10/08/2015 09:56

My mum is Nan or Nannie to our DS. My MIL preferred Gran or Granny. Easy to differentiate too!

starlight2007 · 10/08/2015 09:57

yes I do think it is up to the person what they are called.

Imagine been called a name that made you cringe.

HighwayDragon · 10/08/2015 09:57

My mum would go mental if she was grandma, and in her late 40s I don't blame her!

StitchingMoss · 10/08/2015 09:57

My DM is nana, I love it. Much less formal and stuffy sounding than grandma. MIL is grandma - suits her to a tee Wink.

LindyHemming · 10/08/2015 09:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Fishwives · 10/08/2015 09:58

Grandparent gets to have preference, but in my experience, the child decides as soon as s/he becomes verbal. My son, now three, having had us always refer to Granny X and Grandpa Y, now calls all four grandparents by their first names.

I agree Nan and Nana are awful, but it wouldn't have been my call.

ButterflyUpSoHigh · 10/08/2015 09:58

I am the opposite and don't like Grandma/Granny they sound so old fashioned. Always Nanny/Nan here and we have Great Nan too.

lilacblossomtime · 10/08/2015 09:58

I think it's up to the person, but you could tell them nicely that you would prefer they chose something else.

BertrandRussell · 10/08/2015 09:58

Upto the person being called it to choose.

EmeraldKitten · 10/08/2015 09:59

Yes I think it's up to the person. Mine and Dh's parents/step parent all chose what to be called.

Thankfully they were all different - we have a Nanna, Nain, Granny, Bampa and Grandad. I think there would need to be a bit of negotiation sometimes though because 3 Nanna's would have been a pain!

TenForward82 · 10/08/2015 09:59

What bettercallsaul1 said

BertrandRussell · 10/08/2015 09:59

"I think it's up to the person, but you could tell them nicely that you would prefer they chose something else."

So not up to the person at all then!

ollieplimsoles · 10/08/2015 10:00

My mil told us she wanted to be called grandma because she thought nanna sounded 'common'.

But she's a massive snob (her own mother is 'nanna'!)

CaptainHolt · 10/08/2015 10:00

I hate Nan and if any future dgcs or their parents tried to make be be called it I would tell them to do one. Def up to the person being called it, unless they start insist on being called 'Mummy' or 'Fanjo' or something.

TheOriginalWinkly · 10/08/2015 10:01

Up to them. MIL and FIL are Nana and Gramps, which make me cringe but DD's cousins call them that, so that's who they are.

Kewcumber · 10/08/2015 10:01

Grandparent decides in my experience though children can sometimes bend it to their will - my grandparents were Grammer and Grumpa!

I decided for my Dad in his absence so he was stuck with it, but I assume you wouldn't prefer an absent grandparent who doesnt see their grandchildren?

LokiBear · 10/08/2015 10:02

My mil was obsessed with this. To the point of irritation. She insisted on knowing what my mum was going to be called because she was Grandma. I told her that my mum would be called whatever she wanted, which irked her because she wanted to be the only 'Grandma' Hmm. In the end my mum chose Nanny, so it was fine. Just seems a daft thing to get worked up about. I call my own grandma by her first name and always have.

Heels99 · 10/08/2015 10:02

No way would I agree to nan or nana. Awful!

LazyLouLou · 10/08/2015 10:02

We had Nanas and Granddads

Nana Xsurname and Nana Ysurname, never caused us any trouble.

I doubt a young Nana would like to be Grandma. In our family my grandma was my Nana's mum...

TittyBiskwits · 10/08/2015 10:03

I loathe Nana. Absolutely bloody hate it. Of course, my mil decided that's what she wanted to be called.

I had to suck it up. But I still can't stand it.

Bettercallsaul1 · 10/08/2015 10:03

I don't dislike Nan/Nana because it's "common". For me it has connotations of goats - which, of course, is a total no-no for MN'ers!