Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be annoyed that my mum doesn't want to be called Gran, Granny, Grandma, Nan.....

132 replies

sar123 · 22/03/2007 09:28

..... or anything else vaguely grannyish sounding? My dad is happy with grandad. Just can't help feeling that it's a bit selfish of her. After all she IS a grandparent, no getting away from that! Ok she's young in comparison to many of my friends mothers but all the same....Should I insist? Or seek a suitable alternative?
And anyway, what alternatives are there to the obvious? What do your dc's call their grandparents?

OP posts:
kittywaitsfornumber6 · 22/03/2007 11:09

I think you are being a tad unreasonable there. When mine started coming along both grandmothers had very strong ideas about what they did/din't want to be called. As is turned out it mattered not one jot as the children decided what each was going to be called. Where the names came from I don't know but they are GIMM (my mother) and MO (dp's mother)

hecciesmum · 22/03/2007 11:11

my mum is called GLAMMY, which all her friends are quite jealous of. Was only because ds struggled wit hthe letter r when he was really wee...

very sweet

MejustMe · 22/03/2007 11:12

My Ds calls my mum Nanna, My dad Grandad and until I lost my grandparents called them old nanny and old grandad. He called his father mum granny dog....he was 3 at the time and never liked her!!!! he used to say she looked like the dog upstairs OOPPSS...he hasn't seen her for yrs now.

LaidbackinEngland · 22/03/2007 11:14

God knows how or why... but my kids call my parents 'noonar' and 'naughty ambad' and my DH's parents 'cliffy' and 'mega - dur' ... each to their own I say. The quality of the relationship is much more important than what they are called.

MrsDoolittle · 22/03/2007 11:26

My Mum was like this. She decided she wanted the same nickname we all use for her. I didn't like it much but it didn't really bother me as it was her problem.
Everyone assumed she would be called Grandma, people we met in the street, her friends, my friends, everyone in fact, and so she gave up resisting.

RedFraggle · 22/03/2007 11:47

I haven't read all the posts but I agree with one of the posters who said to introduce her as Mrs Jones (or whatever). Then when she pulls a face about it say "well what ARE they supposed to call you?" in an innocent voice...

I wouldn't worry about it - your child (ren) will come up with their own words. My Dad is curretnly called Grum-Bob by my dd as she can't say grandad. He loves it!
My Mum is Nanny - she wanted to be called Nana as it feels a bit more "young and friendly" to her. We all call her Nana but my dd says Nanny anyway!

nappyaddict · 22/03/2007 11:58

we have nonny and grandad and nana and grandad.

i used to call mine nanny and grandad.

nappyaddict · 22/03/2007 12:03

my cousins used to call them grammy/grams and grandpa and there other ones grandmamy/mama and grandad.

2 ladies up the road are called nonna and granna by their GC.

how about g-mama!!! pmsl sounds like some rapping granny!

Muminfife · 22/03/2007 12:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

PinkTulips · 22/03/2007 12:07

dc's randparents are granny and opa (although she signs cards oma and opa but dd uses granny) and nana and granddad

could you use a foreign name for granny? surely she doesn't expect them to call her by her name?!

nappyaddict · 22/03/2007 12:08

i remember 2 girls at school calling theirs nunu (i get images off teletubbies though with that one now) and nanoo and grandmummy too. think that's all the ones i can think of for the moment.

nappyaddict · 22/03/2007 12:10

what about nonno? that's a normal grandmother name but sounds slightly modern?

Libra · 22/03/2007 12:11

When my sister first gave birth, my parents were officially informed by her parents in law that THEY were grandma and grandad and that no other grandparents were 'allowed' these names. They have seven children and apparently made the same notification at every single grandchild's birth. My parents think they are barking, but are happy with the Welsh equivalents anyway.
MY MIL refused 'farmor', the Danish version, and insists on 'bedstemor', which is more formal. She changed her mind about two years ago and got very cross when the children refused to change her name.... mad.

humpydumpy · 22/03/2007 12:24

My Grandma insisted we called her by her proper name, which was fine and all we knew. It was only really a problem when as a child I would talk about her to friends and I never knew what to call her then. If I said her name I had to give an explanation of who she was and why I called her by her name and calling her Grandma felt wrong. Far too confusing as a child.

tibsy · 22/03/2007 12:25

we have nanny and granga (ds named my dad, when he started talking), was previously grandad. il's are gramma and bampa

mummylin2495 · 22/03/2007 12:36

i have three grandchildren and am very proud to be called nan,my dh used to be called dan-dan but it has now progressed to grandad,i am just proud to have them all,children will usually make up their own names anyway.

Twiglett · 22/03/2007 14:24

I find it funny that both Cod and Enid who are self-professed fashionistas with strong ideas of style think that the grandmother is just being Vain

3easterbunniesandnomore · 22/03/2007 14:42

what a shame really...I mean surely it's a wellearned title, something to be proud off!

MintChocChippyMinton · 22/03/2007 14:52

My DC call all their grandparents 'Grandma first name' and 'Grandad first name'. And very proud of their titles they are too.

GreatGooglyMoogly · 22/03/2007 15:00

I don't think you're being unreasonable. In the end, your child will call their grandparents what you tell them their names are, so you decide. My parents are Kiwi Nana (in NZ) and Grandad and ILs are Nanna and Grandpa. Both of the grandmothers wanted Nan(n)a so we came to a compromise once ds1 started getting confused. The grandfathers were told what they would be called! My father was like your mother in that he didn't want to have a grandparent-type name and was coming up with ridiculous alternatives so in the end we decided he was Grandad and ds1 learnt that that was his name so he conceded.

Boobsgonesouth · 22/03/2007 15:02

my mum and dad are very proud to be called nany & grandad, FIl to be called "pamper" but MIL, oh no, she wanted to be different., insisted on NOT being called grandma and announced "i want to be called Nina" no idea why....

so I get the children to call her grandma Nina...she can like it or lump it !!!!

juicychops · 22/03/2007 15:07

my mum is only 49 and doesn't like being called gran granny or grandma. But she likes being called nanny

twelveyeargap · 22/03/2007 15:08

I would leave it for now. She does seem to have issues around losing her identity or whatever it is that made her funny about you calling her mum.

When your child is older you can refer to her as "Grandma " but always call her her chosen name to her face and your child will follow suit.

gscrym · 22/03/2007 15:09

DS picked his own name for them. My mum is GaGa and my dad is Jone. He heard someone shouting hello to my dad and just copied it. He won't call him grandad, granpa, papa or anything else. My dad doesn't mind.

gscrym · 22/03/2007 15:10

How about a foreign translation of grandma.

Swipe left for the next trending thread