In laws constantly refer to daughter as ‘baby’ rather than her name!

[Motherofpearlxoxo]

MIL and FIL constantly refer to my 8 week old daughter, their granddaughter, as ‘the baby’ when speaking to us and one another.

”you come across with the baby”
”I’ll take the baby”
”pass us the baby’
”did baby just smile”
etc etc

When ‘the baby’ was 2 weeks old MIL referred to her as ‘thingy’ and I was livid but didn’t say anything. Husband agreed that it wasn’t good but we of course just left it as it was one passing comment. He doesn’t see any issue with only ever referring to our daughter as ‘baby’ or ‘the baby’.

She gives them non stop smiles and looks at them so adoringly and they can’t be arsed to use her name. It’s the very centre of someone’s identity!! Am I over reacting by being angry about this??

It's been called teh naby for 9 months. Its kind of their name to them. .

It'll.change soon. Start telling them it's name when they say it

They have forgotten her name and are too embarrassed to admit it.

Thingy is weird but baby is normal imo.

My Irish mum would say, "Are you bringing the small one?" 🤣

She is the baby. Lots of babies are called “the baby” until a new baby comes along. Maybe have another baby.

I'm pretty sure my son thinks his name is baby as that's all I called him for the first 6 months!

My husband calls our 2 GC the babies.... they're 7 and 8 😁

Baby wouldn't bother me but thingy would.

Every time they say it, put your DC in the corner.

That'll teach 'em.

My niece is 2 and everyone calls her ‘the baby’ even her parents. It’s not meant as a slight at all

Let it slide, it’s not a huge and it’s not life changing. You’re tired and are probably trying to adjust to a new baby. Little things annoyed me too but it’s honestly not worth your energy getting worked up about.

I still call my 19-year-old by a nickname that means "baby" sometimes.

Lol at @WhateverMate!😁

The youngest is the baby, my brother in his 30's is still the baby - more of a joke these days. I call my son the baby too, he's in primary!

Yeah it does sound like this is it.

But unless they have dementia or the name is very complicated/hard to pronounce, it's kind of unbelievable isn't it! How can you forget your grandchild's name?!

Is her name Neil?

Well that got me told 😂
I’m still annoyed but I shall endeavour to get over it!!

Thanks all 🥰

I think calling a baby 'baby' or 'the baby' is perfectly fine and very ordinary. I used the term 'the baby' all the time with my own up until 6 months or so, as did my family and friends. However, I could not get on board with Thingy. That's extremely rude. Can you ask DH to have a word?

Are they big Gavin and Stacey fans? “Neil the baby!”

I greet my 11 month old DGD with "hello baby!" every time I see her. Should I not be doing?

Really
this is something to care about???

Next time they ask you to bring the baby over, turn up with someone else's and say "Well you didn't specify?!" 🤷‍♂️🤣

Do they not like the names? Baby could be said with affection? Is it a name that could be easily be confused with another name?

My kids are still Baby Girl and Baby Boy to my parents. My kids are 24 and 26.

My 30 year old cousin (youngest cousin in our generation ) and 66 year old aunt (youngest in her generation) still both get referred to as "the babe/babe" by some family members. My Ddad mention getting an odd look once for calling his sister "babe" 😂

And DH and I call our youngest "little boy" so much our older child has started calling him the same.

I still call my 8 month old ‘the baby’ about 50% of the time 🤷‍♀️

DD was the baby, interchangeably with bambina, babba, the bairn, babs. Until she started nursery and I realised she didn't actually know or respond to her name! She's still Babs at home. Nothing like her actual name.

DS was Titch. Now he's mostly small person, short stuff, or pretty much any other small person name.

Both are fine with it.

Thinking back, I don't remember my own dad ever using my name unless I was in trouble.