Alternative roles to Grandma

[LittleMrsMama]

Hello,

I'd love your advice! We have a close family friend of grandma age that we would like to have a special role in our baby to be's life rather than 'Auntie Sue' but not keen on her using the traditional 'grandma' or 'nan' role titles. Have you heard of or used any other titles?

Also any advice on how to share this with our family friend is really appreciated. She has started to refer to herself as grandma and has just assumed she'll be given that title which has been very awkward.

Thanks in advance!

Bit strange she’s appropriating that! Has your baby got other Grandmas?

The obvious thing is to make her a godparent.

The fact that things have become awkward but you’re keen on giving her a special role is concerning. Make sure you’re all very clear about your expectations.

I think you need a special name based on the name you call her. You will have to invent it (eg GrandMary, SueNan). If you can wait long enough you can seize your baby's adorable mispronounciation (eg Meemoo, Zoozoo etc)

Thank you! I'm glad it's not just me that thinks it's a bit entitled/expectant.

Not sure whether to approach her and say I'd been thinking about her title or wait for her to bring it up again and mention it then. Will have a think of some other names but like the idea of incorporating her name.

Godmother would definitely have been a good option but we won't be getting baby christened

Why does she NEED a title? Why can she not be 'Sue' or 'Auntie Sue'?
I would not cause an issue that isn't there. Be firm and consistently call her 'Auntie Sue'. If she calls herself something else just revert to 'Auntie Sue' each and every time. No discussion, no negotiation.

You could take the initiative, ask her what she’d like to be called by the baby when it can speak? Surely she wouldn’t have the nerve to say ‘grandma’?

You don't have to have a baby baptised for them to have godparents. Naming ceremonies involve godparents.

Mine just have godparents even though there is no godliness in this family!

Im assuming your little ones have nannys around, how about Oma as an alternative its Grandma in German and just say as not to confuse your little one with Grandmas how about Oma.

Its weird she's given herself that name. Aside from Mum, Dad and Grandma, we don't use any auntie/uncle/cousin prefixes in our family. People just use their first names and don't need anything else to know they are special.

That is a “godmother auntie “ that you are describing as per “
My naughty little sister “

I have the most amazing godmother auntie who was a great older friend of my mum

Don’t you already have grandparents for your baby?

My DH's godmother is referred to as GiGi. The sounds of G-G derived from Granny Godmother...

We also use Italian terms (Nonno and Nonna) I don't know if I've spelled those correctly

Is there way that name sounds that could be used as a PP has suggested?

Jennifer Saunders gets called Jam-jar by her grandchildren as she didn't want any of the traditional nicknames/terms of endearment

If baby already has grandmas, 'Auntie Sue' is a compliment name for her without being OTT with slightly strange 'titles'.
I wouldn't make a big deal of it. If she becomes an important person to baby he/she will recognise that without a special name, & anyway baby will probably come up with their own funny nickname at some point.