Aunty/Uncle Everyone

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This is very trivial and I don't even really know why it annoys me but:

DH has this weird habit of turning almost everyone we know into 'Aunty/Uncle' so and so ("Say thanks to Aunty x" etc). I don't mind it when good friends are involved, the kind of people we might well ask to be godparents if we were to get the DC christened for example. But he seems to do it to everyone, for example a woman he used to work with who I barely know and the DC have met (briefly) twice.

Is this a bit weird? Or AIBU?

Just polite I think.

It probably is a bit OTT but I hate it too and I hated it when I was a child so I decree that YANBU

I have a childless friend who detests being called Aunty... perhaps you could tell your DH that some people are offended by this.

I do find this difficult - but otoh, my mum was firmly against calling anyone but actual aunts and uncles that, so I called all adults Mr or Mrs so and so. Meant that as a young adult, I had real issues calling older adults by their first names.

i think yabu a bit, its not a big issue
have u told dh u dont like it, maybe he will stop?
we tend to call everyone aunty/uncle its just something out of politeness, i think its normal

I shiver if DDs use first names, I am obviously scarred too CMOT .

I know I'm being pernickity! I've got no problem with close friends, it's when it extends to everyone. I don't know why, it just feels wrong, like it's putting an unnatural pressure on or something. Oh, I don't know. I'm all for politeness, it just grates. DH thinks I'm mad!

I hate this - DS4 came home from pre school telling me about one of his teachers "Auntie so and so" - she is not his Auntie, he has an Auntie - I will say something i think - its not appropriate

hmm. I think YANBU.
When I was little I had to call everyone Uncle/Auntie. I was NEVER allowed to call an adult by their first name. For people we didn't know very well, it was Mrs or Mr X.
Like you I think it's fine for close friends, but for random other people, no.
Like others have said, I also find it weird now when I hear a child calling an adult by their first name only.

YANBU

as a child we had a few "Aunties" and "uncles" who were close friends of my parents, but anybody else would be "mr" or "mrs" or "miss".

and they would remain that way until my parents were told it was okay for us to use their first names.

it's just weird calling all grown-ups "aunty" or "uncle": it gives out the message that all adults can be trusted whether they're known by the family or not.

Yanbu.

Hated it as a child, and hate it now.
I think it makes real Aunties and Uncles "less" somehow.

godparents are aunties

tis a common tradition in many cultures

old fashioned - though I like this old fashioned habit

my aunties and uncles were very generous at christams I do remember

Message withdrawn

YANBU

I have a policy that goes like this:

For certain people, ie DP's Nan, DS was introduced to Nan and that's what he calls her.

DP is not DS's Dad btw

for other people ie close friends (DP's parents etc) I've asked if they prefer to be called Auntie/Uncle making it clear by the way I say it that unless they express a preference they can expect to be called by their first name.

Most people go for first names and I think it helps DS understand that these people are part of 'his' network but are different from his actual family - his Auntie is very special to him.

Exh however makes DS call everyone Aunties/Uncle so DS now thinks he has about a million relatives..... hohum emoticon

xM

I and my own children call/ed very close family friends "Auntie", and in my case this extended to my next-door neighbours. Its just a courtesy title and AFAIK no-one has been offended by it. Surely he politest thing iro parent's colleagues/neighbours and so on is to tell the DC to call them Mr/Mrs X and then if they want to be called by first names they'll say so. Like another poster here I shudder when my DDs call people by their first names without invitation and still correct them although they are 12 and 14. I do the same btw.

Personally I always ask people of all ages to call me by my first name. Some are uncomfortable with this though (school for example - I think that they fear I'll start addressing them by THEIR first names, which of course I'd never do unless asked to!).

So, you ANBU in my opinion but perhaps there is room for compromise with your DH and titles and surnames could be encouraged for aquaintances?

I can't stand parents that encourage their kids to call family friends "Uncle" or "Aunt". It's just not right, and seems for lack of better terms, vulgar and tacky. There's no need for formality either, just address people by their names.

YANBU

that would bug me,

However my best friend is called auntie hannah, i was an only child until 16 so my 2 siblings are my childrens age so hannah feels like there aunt, and she is godmother to them.

The rule in our house is: Godparents and very close friends (coincidentally - or perhaps not, subconsciously - these are friends who do not have children).

Gimmer alert: I do not like this habit of my child's friends calling me by my first name. I only ever called my friends' parents "Mr and Mrs...".

When did this habit cease? I'm really interested to know.

All the special females in my life have been called Auntie whether family or not. I really like it as it makes them seem special.

I only realised that not everyone does this when i suggested to step-mil that she might like to be an Auntie to the dcs and she was horrified!

Step Gran just didn't catch on and she is now just known by her first name which I think is a shame but its what you get used to.

I do the Aunty thing too, seems nice to me, makes other adults part of the extended family.
I am so scarred by my own upbringing that I still call my Aunts and Uncles Aunty 'First name' and Uncle 'First name' and I'm over 40 FGS

NotsoDH - I know it's just an opinion, but I find your 'vulgar and tacky comment' not very nice, sorry. Close family friends have always been called Aunty X in my home area, and it is meant as a mark or respect and affection. It designates that the person is much closer than a random stranger, someone the child can turn to. To have addressed such an inportant person by only their first name would have been very disrespectful and as you so kindly put it 'vulgar and tacky'. Please accept that for many people it is an important term, and take it in the spirit it is meant.

close friends of ours are always auntie and uncle to ds. i think it is polite and i dont like it the other way where little children call adults by their first names, i think that is rude to be honest.

my sil doesnt even make her kids call me and dh anutie and uncle and we are their actual auntie and uncle fgs!

to people we dont know very well i dont bother but all our friends are known as aunite and uncle, i think its nice and respectful.

well said sparkle