well meaning or interfering grandparents?

[Goldfitch]

I've recently shared our chosen names for our beautiful little girl with my parents.

My mum's reaction was to a) tell me everyone she already knows with the same names and b) email me a few hours later saying we should swap the middle and first names as she thinks it sounds better that way round.

thoughts on how to handle gratefully received!!!! I don't want to say something regretful to them when they arrive to visit tomorrow after an 8 hr journey (we live in Scotland them in SE England)

Elspeth is a beautiful name.
Look...I think she is ok to make suggestions, but you are in no way obliged to take any heed.
If she brings it up say "yes I thought about what you said, but I prefer it the way it is" - then if she persists say (pleasantly) "thanks but I don't need to discuss it any more, our minds are made".

Any further broaching from her is asking for a wee telling off.

I can imagine my Mum doing this to me. Love her to bits, but she's not backwards in coming forwards! I'm TTC and have made the mistake of discussing names with her. She's clearly not very keen on any of our choices.

That said the other day I almost called my friend's baby by her middle name (which I vastly prefer and think suits her far better!). Fortunately I managed to catch myself before it slipped out of my mouth!

Wise words from earlier posters about changing roles from parents to grandparents.

Elspeth is indeed a lovely name. Congratulations.

Ah, that's much better then OP .

I must have misread that bit

Congratulations! Love the name. Just thinking, if you're the not-so-confrontational type like me, you could try the alternative manipulation method. Say someone in Tesco told you they didn't like it and how upset you were when you've spent months coming up with the most beautiful name you can think of. Suddenly, she'll love it, and she'll be championing the name to everyone she meets. Hopefully.

wise words from all. the GPs arrived this afternoon and for about the first 30 mins my mum was clearly in some kind of reality check as she didn't even ask to hold baby Elspeth!! Luckily my DH bundled them out to the shops asap to get groceries and they took the pram too.

miraculously by the time they got back an hour or so later they seemed to be the proud GPs I was hoping for. Apparently at the shops everyone they met cooed over her and said what a lovely name and that was that.

feeling massively thankful for the kindness of strangers today!

Glad that's sorted! She may well have spoken to grandparent friends who told her not to snatch the baby straight away!