To want my adult niece and nephew to call my Aunty Emma?

[egaley]

AIBU? Am I old fashioned?

I have an adult nephew and niece (28 and 26). They have always called me Aunty Emma.

We were having a big family meal and my cheeky nephew called me just “Emma” when he wanted to say something. I corrected him and asked him why he called me Emma, my name is Aunty Emma!

Why is it a sign of fragmented families if you call people by their name instead of a title?

If you want to be called Aunty Emma, you have the right to request that. However, if they'd prefere Emma then I'd let it go.

My nephews called me Aunty Rewis until they were maybe 6ish. Then they naturally stopped. I was never a fan of Aunty X. Now I'm waiting for my friends kids to grow out of it (or friends who tell their kids to call me that).

I’m mid 30s with DC of my own and I still call my aunt ‘Auntie Name’. My children call her that too even though she is their great aunt obviously. They also call mine and my husband’s siblings ‘Auntie Name’ and ‘Uncle Name’. Only our siblings though, never close friends / pretend family, I hate that. It’s a respect thing 🤷🏻‍♀️

This is reminding me of The Archers where people name the person they are talking to in mid conversation with that person!
Eg "Hi Auntie Lillian! Isn't it a lovely day. I know, Auntie Lillian, let's go up Lakey Hill! Come on Auntie Lillian!"

I think it's nice to use aunt/uncle but the title is only an accident of birth and not bestowed upon you in recognition of years of service to nieces and nephews.

🤷🏻‍♀️

We do in the African and Caribbean culture. Some elders will often refer to each other as brother Peter, Sister Jane, etc. Also, particularly in the African culture, we'll refer to anyone older with the title Auntie or Uncle whether related or not! In fact it's considered very disrespectful to do otherwise.

Culturally older people are more respected and a title helps differentiate them from say, a friend.

I don't think it's childish to keep the title, no need to drop it - just be consistent with whatever was always used or perhaps drop the name and call you Auntie.

YANBU!

Gosh, the utter cheek of an adult calling another adult by their name.

Bonkers 😂😂😂

I still use auntie and uncle when addressing these relatives verbally or in birthday cards etc.

Because they are. Just because I'm in my 50s doesn't stop my mum being my mum or my aunt being my aunt.

Nothing wrong with it.

My children are 26 and 18. They still call my brother and his wife uncle and aunt because they want to. But I don't think anyone would mind if they dropped it.

I don't think it's something incoupd be bothered about if they're in their late 20s!

Fully agree OP
I am quite far along thexage road, but have always referred to my parent's siblings as Aunt and Uncle
Nothing wrong with that

How old are you? My cousins children call me by my first name but that was because I was a teenager when they were born.

I find it odd especially when adults. We never called called our Aunts "aunty", even as children. My children call their aunts and uncles by their first names.
If it doesn't feel right to them, don't force them.

I’m in two minds. I don’t expect my siblings kids to call me anything but my first name and makes me feel ancient being called Auntie (I’m actually already a great Aunt as well, not even 40 yet!). But I grew up in a culture where every older acquaintance was Auntie/Uncle X and I’d still call them that to this day if I saw them, it would seem greatly disrespectful not to. I think it’s down to age gap and expected formality, so I’m edging towards being unreasonable here.

Im also in my 60’s and stopped using aunt and uncle in my teens, at their request.

I don't like titles even when they're little. Just first name in this family!!

I'm 53 and still call my Auntie Auntie name. Never crossed my.Mind not to. She's my Auntie.

I told my strapping 6ft 6in nephew to stop shouting Aunty Bluebird access the gym!

Your name is not Aunty Emma, your name is Emma and as for describing a 26 year old as cheeky 🤢

My partner is 60 and still refers to his aunts and uncles as aunt and uncle.

I think it's a personal preference thing.

I normally still use Aunty and Uncle to family members when I'm talking to them personally, writing in cards to them etc but occasionally now won't. In my husband's family's culture it would be seen as deeply disrespectful. Anyone who is older than you is called Aunty or uncle, or grandma/grandad depending on generation that they are in ot doesn't matter of they're actually related to you or not.

I'm in my fifties and it's still aunt and uncle it's the norm in our family

Mine never called any of theirs aunt or uncle either. Just used their names from the start.
I don't particularly want to be called aunty , and certainly not great aunt !

I'm 50s I refer to my Aunt as my Aunt.

My adult nieces and nephews refer to me as Aunt.

YANBU

I'm in my 70s and my mother's eldest sister (born about 1912) asked me to drop the "Auntie" when I was about 14. I'm sure I wasn't the first, as I have loads of older cousins. This sort of trickled through the rest of her enormous family and by the time I was 18, nobody was being called Auntie/Uncle by anyone over the age of about 5.

My husband's family refer to nieces and nephews as Niece and Nephew and address birthday cards with, for example, Nephew {Name} - I have never come across this and it's not even a cultural difference as we're both white British and our parents are all from the same county (Kent)!

On the Aunty question I dropped Aunty years ago and firstname her now! It's not a sign of respect in my family to keep it. However my husband refers to his aunt as Auntie (just that, without her first name) in passing and as a form of address.

It's very common for people to drop the title once they become adults, but also fine to keep them. In terms of etiquette, the general rule of thumb is to call people what they want to be called.

So I don't think it was rude of your nephew to call you Emma, but now you've let him know you'd prefer him to stick with Aunty Emma, he should do that.