To hate being called 'auntie' by kids that are not my nieces or nephews?

[Nancy66]

Really grates on me.

In fact I don't even like my actual nieces and nephews to call me 'auntie' but friends kids...yuk.

numal - same here

"Aunty castille" makes me wince, whether from my nephews or anyone else.

We grew up not even calling our aunts Aunty, or even Aunt, just their first names. My DC do the same for their aunts and uncles and call our friends Mr/Mrs/Miss X unless invited to do otherwise.

I was talking to my mum about this only the other day. She had two very close friends that we always called aunty. In fact I was much closer to them than to my one real aunty. Now my friends (daughters of the aunties) have dcs they call me aunty too! I like it - agree with jabberwocky, I consider it a compliment.

jammietart - love it

FFS it's affectionate and if people think enough of you to want their children to feel the same way then don't prove em wrong.

okay meant to type FGS - "FFS" faaar too strong! Soz.

Lotster With slip-up like that your not going to be aunty to little Starbear

hecate - I SO agree with you. When I was a child I never called my friends' parents by their first names (and I still don't even now as a 40+ woman - I just couldn't bring myself to do it).

When did that stop? I'd love to be called Mrs X by dd's friends rather than squeaver. Although I don't insist on it like you do [respect]

On the Aunty/Uncle thing - we use it for Godparents and friends with no children of their own (although that's by accident rather than design).

I've got a whole random bunch of "not real" aunties and uncles from my childhood - and, again, I still call them that.

Had no idea it was a working class thing

I use it for one Godmother whose name needs to be differenciated and another v v close NCT friend. I hope they don't mind. I am quite "posh" btw

Starbear

I'm a scary, scary lady, Squeaver.

Was once asked "What's your name" by a child at the school gate. I replied "Mrs Twopenceworth"

Well, not Mrs Twopenceworth, that'd just be weird, but you know what I mean!

Hecate you and me both. It really grates on me when small children call me by my first name, especially when their parents encourage them to do so

I will join you in the 18th century Do you have a parasol and a bustle?

Indeed. But it's a bugger to sit down

I've been taught to curtsey, if that's any good to you, Hecate [ deferential smile]

Aargh. I have a split personality. I loathe being called Avenging by people I don't know (esp people trying to sell me things) and correct them to 'Dr Gerbil'; on the other hand DS and everybody I know calls me Avenging. It would be weird to insist on Dr Gerbil from DS's 9yr old friends when he calls me Avenging.

Madame Twopenceworth, I'm impressed that you manage to be called anything other than 'Twopenceworth Minor's Mum' which seems to be the most common way of referring to parents around here - talk about impersonal!

Could you not ask to me 'de-auntified'?

agree it can be cultural, in tanzania being called aunty signifies you've crossed over to the grown up/ not for flirting with side

i hate being called aunty or even mama by grown men though, especially those older than me

i prefer the american system of being adressed as mrs, although ma'am grates a bit

Oh I am sure I get called that too, but if they want to talk to me, they won't get an answer if they say "Excuse me X's mum..."

Your son calls you by your first name? Does that bother you, or is it at your suggestion?

cory

i always told ds's friends if they dared to ask my name was _'s mum, and that was all they needed to know!

I never used to like it, but my dp is Caribbean and it's the norm there, so dd tends to do it. It's quite grown on me.

I never used to like it, but my dp is Caribbean and it's the norm there, so dd tends to do it. It's quite grown on me.

There wasn't any suggesting about it - I have a percussive one syllable name (not Avenging, actually!) and it was pretty much his first word.

DH and I have never done that thing of talking about each other as 'Mum and Dad' (which I know most people do but I find strange - like those ancient couples in old sitcoms who refer to each other as 'Mother and Father' even though they must be great-grandparents); so I guess we never suggested that he might like to call us anything else.

When I've suggested it since he's been bigger, just to see if he wants to be like everyone else, he rolls around in laughter.

What can I say? I works for us (though Reception teacher was a bit when he wouldn't write 'To Mummy' in the compulsory mother's day card...)

I think there is a bit of a class thing but mainly it seems to me to be a northern habit. My dad's family were all northerners and he had to call all adults auntie or uncle.

It isn't done so much now as we live in a much more informal society so adults can be Kate without being Auntie Kate / Mrs. Blah

Personally I insist on 'Your highness'

Wow I didn't realise people hate this so much! IMO it is a definate cultural thing. My family is either West Indian or has lived there for many years and it's just what you call people there. I have some aunties who are friends of my grandma and I could never call them by their first names! Mind you I haven't ever been on the receiving end...

It is also used in Oriental culture as a way of showing respect and affection for adults who are related or friends of the family - it would be unthinkably rude to call adults by their first name.

Though I was brought up to do this, now that I have moved to the UK, I teach my dcs the same. I am surprised that it is used in UK as I have never been called 'auntie' before, mostly 'dd's mummy' by her friends.

I thought using the term 'auntie' would cause confusion in the person it is addressed to, so I don't teach my dcs to whilst they are in UK (though it is helpful to know Asian, West Indian and other cultures in UK practise this as well). Did not know it would actually cause offence.

... don't teach my dcs the same.