To think its weird people use siblings as godparents

[Gimmeareason]

I mean, they will already be the kid's uncle or aunt, so whats the point?

Well we picked a mixture of friends, cousins and siblings. Friends have no interest in their godchildren and it was a waste of a godparent.

I agree with you, OP...I don't see the point...

It's a purely religious commitment. Nothing to do with who looks after your children if you die. You need to make provisions for that in your will. We've just updated ours.

Our will includes our prefer for guardianship and also.in the event that the guardian does the plan b. Also financial provisions in the event this unfortunately happens and the guardians are taking on 2 extra kids.
I'm amazed at the number of people that faff about with godparents but have no guardian arrangements.

I don't really get it. I'm godparent to my nieces, which is a bit of a farce because I'm not christened and not religious, plus I'm already their aunt so what's the point? Didn't want to upset my bro though so went along with it. They have lots of other godparents, including ones who are actually christened, so I assume I don't actually have to do anything over and above being their aunt!

I don't think it's weird. As pp have said, a godparent is someone who will take care of the child should the worst happen.
I already agreed I would take care of my siblings should I ever need to. And it was an honour to be my siblings godparent, even though I'm their sister anyway.
I was referring to a person being a godparent to their own siblings. But I take it you mean using siblings as godparents to your own child? I certainly would, but they aren't old enough, so I couldn't.

You choose Godparents to help in the religious education of your child. If the best people for that role are the child's aunt/ uncle then pick them. People have forgotten what being a Godparent really means.

I thought godparents were the ones who would look after the kid if something happens to you so its good to extend it out from the family

You thought wrong. That isn't remotely what godparents are for.

Why would you start a thread saying something is weird when you don't know anything about it?

I thinks it weird to offer your child as a follower to an imaginary sky wizard but each to their own!

I think people chose siblings/aunts/uncles etc, because a lot of people them selves have grandparents who were a family friend at the time and their current partner. And as such haven't seen/heard from them in years. A relative is more likely to still be around in 20 years. I never hear from my godparents. They sent "duty" birthday cards with money till I was 18, but weren't a part of my life as they didn't remain close to my parents even though they had been BFFs for years before I was born when both couples were child free & sociaslised together, my GPs remained child free and seemed to resent doing anything child-fridndly

It's also not uncommon for a GP to be chosen as a lady ditch attempt to patch up a previously close friendship that's getting strained when one has kids and the other doesn't. That's been a "thing" amongst my uni friend group (and it doesn't work!)

So rellies are a safer long term bet!

If you want someone to be in that role you need to put it in your will. Being a godparent gives no legal status at all

Being named in the will as guardians also gives you no legal status at all.

I think it's strange to have Christenings and God Parents when we have morality and Women's Lib and Science.

We have guardians / executors / whatever-they're-called who would use our estate to benefit our children should we die when they're young. Not need to witness magic water being poured over their head to make it so.

DH is Roman Catholic, despite being remarkably clever. Our children are christened. Whilst there's some overlap between God Parents and legal guardians if orphaning happens, there's also a large disjoint.

I don't think it matters who the God Parents are. Does anyone even remember?

A godparent is not the person who will take care of the child should the worst happen I'm afraid.
Somebody may be named as guardian and also be godparents but godparents alone does not make this person the guardian.
Message proper guardian arrangements people!

The other point about rellies, is in BIG families like mine it's a way to not have to buy for everyone IYKWIM. We only buy for our grandchildren. Makes it more manageable with birthdays & christmases etc. Everyone is someone in the family's godparent.

I thought legally you could only appoint a guardian in your Will? Happy to be corrected if that's not right.

My understanding is that God parents are there to teach children about the bible etc?

DH is Roman Catholic, despite being remarkably clever. Our children are christened. Whilst there's some overlap between God Parents and legal guardians if orphaning happens, there's also a large disjoint.I don't think it matters who the God Parents are. Does anyone even remember?

You should remember. And since you formally entered your children, for life, into a religion you disparage, you don't seem that smart yourself. You must have told lots of lies to do so.

My eldest daughter is godmother to my youngest. There is a gap of 14 years.
Suppose that ranks outside all civilized thinking but it is not unusual or weird of really anyone elses business.

Being named in a will isn't legally binding, but it IS taken into consideration by the children's court, and will be honoured if they're suitable/appropriate

We Listed 3 prefered guardians in our will so hopefully childrens services would approve of at least one of them

I think it's fine to choose family members. They might be just right for the role. In any case, not everyone is lucky enough to have close friends they could ask, so it's not very kind to slate people for choosing relatives. Also not everyone can think of friends who have the particular religious beliefs they'd be looking for to guide their child.

@peppapigearworm

"for life", "formally"?

I'm not sure you understand the insignificance of a splash of magic water.

"You must have told lots of lies to do so."

It's okay. I crossed my fingers so god could see I wasn't telling a bad lie. Also, there's no such thing as god so really I was promising some weird promise to a made-up man on a cloud. What's the worst that could happen?

I'm also remarkably clever. The certificates above my desk prove so. I find intelligence and faith mutually exclusive, thus DH is an enigma.

When Jewish children were secretly baptised into the Roman Catholic Church "for life", the parents didn't see it as so. The magic words didn't hold the same spell. Very, very few things are 'for life' and the promising of a baby to an imaginary god certainly isn't one of them.

Yes I think its weird and I told SIL 2 that she was already aunty. She protested more. I said ok Ds' godmother runs the sunday school, sings in the choir and has done missionary work in India. Do you still think youre the better choice? And she conceded. SIL 1 has SIL 2 as godnother to her eldest dc and she wasnt even going to go up for communion at the service! I feel v strongly that anything done in thr name of faith should be done on the grounds of faith, so if your sibling has faith and knows their scripture then why not pick them. But I dont agree with picking them just because they are your sibling.

Your children will be members of the RC church for life. They and their father are now Catholic until they die.
And you parent your children with lies and false promises, which you seem bizarrely proud of.

Not "proud of", I simply couldn't care less.

Christenings kept DH happy. He knows I think religious people are having mental relapses.

As god's word is eternal and unchanging, I like to think that DH still considers us married, despite my not being a virgin on our wedding night. Maybe there's leeway. Maybe it's all quite scary nonsense and the further we distance ourselves from it, the better we'll all be.

What does "member of the RC church mean", besides high probability of buggery and rape by priests? That the gays are bad?

The sooner this nonsense dies out, the better we'll all be. How old are you?

Godparents have absolutely nothing to do with who looks after a child when a parent dies. If they had why would people have different godparents for their children?!

You can leave details of your preference of what you would like to happen to your children in the event of your death, but you don't actually get to choose. SS and the courts would decide what was best for your child at the time and that would be done. You can, of course, choose who has control of any finances you leave for the child. But children are not belongings that can be willed and so, so many people make that error (like the spectacular thread on here where the woman thought she could will her child to her sister and that would stop her non-resident father 'getting' her).

Godparents are supposed to give good presents at birthdays. Therefore, choose someone rich and generous.