to be sick to death of MIL's reaction to DS's name?

[AberdeenAngus]

DS has a normal, everyday, run of the mill, boys name. We picked it because it's a varient of my dad's name. He died while I was pregnant. :(

The response of everyone else to his name was an 'ahh, that's nice, like your dad' kind of response. MIL's response was 'ahh, that's nice, like the [insert name of obscure breed of farmyard animal]. I put that down to her being a bit batty and just ignored it, but for the last 3 years she has been obsessed with this connection between his name and this farmyard animal. Every item of clothing she buys him, every toy, every book has it on it/in it. It's not even the breed that has his name as that's too obscure and she can't find anything, so she gets the bog standard breed instead. A dress up costume came in the post today.

AIBU to be sick of this and to wonder what the fuck is going on in her head?

Wolper I think this was before Frasier.

I don't know about it being "cute". Irritating by now and as you don't encourage the whole Jacob sheep obsession it's crazy lazy sticking to one solid gift theme all the time. But the donkey tactic might be worth a go she is not being malicious and it's nice to hear about a grandma who is in regular contact.

Just out of mild interest I googled Jacob sheep and there is apparently a Jacob Sheep Society. Let's hope she doesn't buy the poor lad membership.

Bet she's got that lined up Chrome100.

noiwontstoptalking and the supposed cat mania - my DM suffered the same thing with owls, a chance remark about one purchase meant she was stuck with owl themed gifts for years.

PHANTOMnamechanger 10:54

My XSIL had the same name as a potato. It's what I first thought of when I met her!

poor girl, being called King Edward!

Well Jacob's sheep are a fairly well known breed, and maybe a little better known than the link between James and Jacob if you are from farming background. (or a sheep obsessive)
BUT your Dad died when you were pregnant why on earth would she assume you named your son for a farmyard animal, why would she not enquire about the name if she didn't know Jacob and James are linked names? And presumably as your DS is 3 now you have told her plenty of times he is named for your Dad, so she know yet she is still persisting with her own agenda.

So why is she doing the sheep thing? - I can't imagine, it seems a strange thing to do to be malicious and you say she appears to mean well, so it is likely she has just got an idea fixed in her head and has run with it to ridiculous lengths. She's not thinking of your DS or what he is interested in when she buys this crap. Why doesn't she want to know what her grandson likes and would like rather than impose her ideas on him? I think that is selfish. If I had a GS who liked dinosaurs and cars I'd get him dinos and cars and maybe a bit of of theme stuff as well. (not sheep)

I would honestly say to her 'enough with the sheep stuff, he's not named after a sheep breed, the stuff has no meaning. He likes dinos/cars/ tractors/spaceships/whatever'. I actually think its a bit cruel, she is filling your house with crap and she is disrespecting your name choice and your Dad's memory because she knows who your son is named for. And she is not treating your son as an individual with his own likes and dislikes and interests. I would also be pretty peeved about this.

KurriKurri exactly this

OP I'm sure you've shown your dissatisfaction to her insisting with the sheep thing, so her still going on about it means she's either veeeeerrrrryyyyy naive or borderline bully!

Stand your ground on this one as you wouldn't want silly remarks like this to go on forever

I do wonder though if she has an issue with you and is being passive aggressive!

poor girl, being called King Edward!

It's either this or Maris Piper!

Potato - Charlotte?

no, that poster has already confirmed it is MARIS

definitely potatoey but still would most definitely be odd to start handing out potato themed gifts

She sounds a bit baarmy to me.

no, that poster has already confirmed it is MARIS sorry didn't realise!

definitely potatoey but still would most definitely be odd to start handing out potato themed gifts
Exactly!!!

Maybe she just thinks it his her and your son's 'thing' now. My mum and dad still send my niece bday cards with monkeys on them and toy monkeys etc through the post...she is 19 ! It is all because when she was about 3 or 4 there was a family in joke about her calling my dad (her grandad) a cheeky monkey.

I used to like Eeyore from Winnie the pooh when I was about 10 -my mum kept buying me little eeyore key rings, stationery etc etc until I was about 20-it was a 'I saw this and thought of you' type thing.

I can see it would be annoying but It doesn't sound like it has come from a bad place?

I do think you need to chill out about this OP and learn that you cannot always control the way other people engage with your DS.

I can understand how the name is sensitive for you, because of the link to your father, but IMO your MIL is just enjoying buying things that in her mind are special/unique for her GS.

There are worse problems with MIL, just smile ruefully or make a few light-hearted comments about the house looking like a farm, but do let it go.

I once told my DS that I liked a Buddha I had seen in a shop, for many birthday and Christmas gifts afterwards he bought me yet another Buddha. Our house resembles a Temple! I have no problem with that, they were bought with love and thought. My new problem is how to stop the scented candles that have now replaced the Buddha theme......sheep would be a welcome change here.

For everyone who can't see the connection between Jamie (which is short for James) and Jacob - who did you think the Jacobeans were?

Your MIL does sound a bit batty. I can see it's irritating but I can also see that there are worse things.

OP if you ever have another son you should definitely call him Edward and see if Granny buys him Mr Potato Head, a potato masher, an actual bag of potatoes, etc.

It sounds as if she is trying to get her own connection rather than ignore the connetion with your dad.

Have you told her that your son isn't interested in the stuff & what his preferences are?