My family have started calling DD this and I really don’t like it

[cakepasta]

My family have started calling DD Floater and I really don’t like it. It started at a family lunch a few weeks ago when she was playing with one of those little inflatable rings and my brother called her it as a joke. Now it’s stuck and everyone seems to think it’s hilarious.

My family have always had daft nicknames for each other tbf. I’ve got one my brother still calls me which I’ve never liked, but it’s just what he’s always called me. This feels different though because she’s only little and I don’t want it turning into something people say about her when she’s older.

My brother says it doesn’t mean anything and keeps going “where’s our little Floater then” whenever he sees her. My mum and sister have started saying it too now. I know they aren’t trying to be nasty but it just sounds like they’re taking the piss out of her appearance to me. She’s got quite chubby cheeks at the moment and I can imagine other kids picking up on it when she starts school.

At the weekend we were all at my mum’s for lunch and he said it about four times. I asked him to stop calling her that and he just laughed and said I was being ridiculous. My mum then said I was being precious and that DD won’t even remember it. I felt a bit stupid because everyone was looking at me like I’d made a massive deal out of nothing.

DP thinks I’m overthinking it as well. He says she’s too young to understand what it means and it’ll probably just stop being used eventually. I said that’s not really the point though, I don’t want it becoming her nickname in the first place. He thinks I’m making it into something it isn’t.

I’m not against nicknames generally, we call her Flo most of the time anyway and she has a few other little ones that are just cute things she’s done. I just don’t like this one and don’t think it’s particularly nice.

My sister messaged me afterwards saying I should just let it go because it’s affectionate and nobody means anything by it. I haven’t replied yet because I don’t really know what to say without sounding like I’m having a go at everyone.

AIBU to ask them to stop calling her it? Would you actually mind this or am I being a bit precious?

^or you could do this.

Especially in front of his wife and kids - imagine them all asking daddy what a Cunt Face is?

Don't put up with being bullied any more - it's being passed on to the next generation. Stop it now OP.

I wouldn't be happy with my dc having a poo based nickname. I would be stopping it each and every time. It's a horrible thing to do to a small dc.

I do think coming up with a vile nickname (that he'll hate...one about an insecurity he has?) is what you need to do, because I do get the impression they're all enjoying winding you up about this. So I don't think sending angry messages will help, but annoying your brother will

This.

Floater is an awful nickname. It could affect her body image and the poo connotation is really unpleasant.

I would be firm about putting a stop to this.

OP what is going on in the dynamics of your family that your brother thinks it’s acceptable to call your baby girl a piece of shit on the regular, everyone else tells you that you’re ’sensitive’ to dislike it, and you’re so beaten down by them all that you accept your own nickname you hate and think you ‘must have a word’ to get them to stop calling her a turd?!?

This is all NOT okay.

The person to change it lost quickly is your mum and the fastest way to get her to lay down the law is say ‘I’m not coming to lunch next week, I don’t feel like it, you’re all calling xyz a piece of shit and I won’t be around that, the end’.

This will set off a chain of reactions because you will be setting boundaries and CHANGING THE DYNAMIC, where your brother rules the roost. So everyone will be all ‘oooh, OP is so PRECIOUS and SENSITIVE now’, to which you have to be ready to: 1) shrug. 2) say ‘I don’t care what you think and 3) I’m not coming.

Eventually your mum will go ‘well, Bobby, Jane, I don’t know why Mary has become more sensitive all of a sudden but you’d better not call little Florence a turd anymore other wise Mary says we won’t see them before Easter, it’ll ruin Xmas’.

Bonus points for meeting your mums friend in a shop and saying ‘YES I DONT SEE MUM ANY MORE BECAUSE SHE LETS BOB CALL MY FLORENCE A TURD ALL THE TIME’.

Everyone will call you ‘high maintenance’ to which you can say ‘Yes! Yes I am.’

Practice shrugging a lot.