“Sir” as a grandfather name?

[Evianontoast]

My dad is a bit eccentric. I've asked my parents to choose what they want to be called as grandparents (e.g nanny, grandad, granny etc.). My dad has chosen "Sir". Not as a joke, he's deadly serious. Is this a bit weird? Anyone heard this before as a grandfather title?

DS started calling his great grandfather (DH's grandpa) Sir , when we asked why he said very seriously because he is the fat controller, and that's what useful engines say! To be fair of you squint a bit and add a top hat he's not far off. It's a very odd and very formal thing to request

Sir Grumpsalot

I'm trying to think what close approximation you could gently guide your child towards once they begin to talk...
Su-su?
Shu- shu?
Schloer?
Siree?
Or just Big Man
Or God.

My DGF ended up with the nickname Grand Pooh Bah, often shortened to Pooh. There is a cute story behind it and it was given lovingly and loved by him.

But it seems like a good name for a grandfather with pretentions who wants to be called sir. Feel free to appropriate it.

Having read the thread I think I should now probably stop llittle calling Grandad 'Oh Great One' even thoigh it was Grandad who originally suggested it.

Just no. My grandpa was just known as his own first name to all 6 grandchildren by his own choosing. I never thought it was weird growing up and actually kind of love it now. It was a slightly out there name but suited him completely. I also felt kind of special that no one else I knew had a grandparent called by their own name.

My father called his father sir. I called him by his military title. He was pretty much a walking textbook on how not to parent/grandparent.

My mum has been getting more formal with age, I think a reaction to how in her life we've gone from always using sirnames to almost always first names.

@Eskarina1, so you had to call your grandfather Brigadier or Lieutenant or something along those lines? Can't imagine someone needing that level of formality from their own children and grandchildren. Sad really.

My.forst thought was it sounds sort of American...

@Christmasbird

Papa maybe, Sir? Unless he was Prince Phillip, no, of course not.

I expect Prince Phillip was 'Grandpa'!

... pressed post too soon by accident...

Queen Elizabeth is known as 'Granny'.

Is he entirely serious? Sir just doesn’t work. It’s one thing to be addressed as ‘sir’ but it doesn’t work as a GP name substitute. The child can say ‘yes sir no sir’ but they can’t say ‘I’m going to see my sir at the weekend’.

That's just bizarre, certainly doesn't conjure an image of a loving grandfather! When my kids were born my parents chose what they preferred, my eldest changed them both slightly when he was really small and the names stuck ever since. My Mum loves the fact that her grandchildren chose her special name and wouldn't ever want to be called anything different.

Sir just speaks of authority, not a name a child would call their grandfather. Is he usually an authoritarian figure?

These have made my husband and I chuckle greatly, thanks for the replies! He is quite full of himself but he's really outdone himself this time, I think!

Now just to find a way to break it to him that my child will not be addressing him as though she's talking to her strict headmaster...

I'm glad I wasn't alone on this!

I assume it is to make him feel important, except it isn't unless you put a name after it ie Sir John.

Sir is used in every secondary school by students for male teachers. There is nothing special about it, just like Miss.

I would ask him if he always wanted to be a teacher.

For Grandparents we asked what they all wanted to be called but happily had very sensible parents on both sides. PIL went for the traditional Grandma and Grandad plus surname whereas my Mother refused point blank to be called the same name as her MIL was to us, ie Grandma and my maiden name. As my Grandma was a truly vile person we used another way to identify my Mum as Grandma. My MIL would have happily done the same thing except her FIL was still alive so couldn't say her MIL had been awful

Yes, my dad was in the army before he retired and reached quite a senior rank. Being affectionate is not as important in his world as being respected. But I don't think that really counts with children... you'll be way more respected if your grandchildren love you, not fear you...and you can't force something like respect...

My husband suggested Your Lordship when asked. However, he was joking.
Mind you, my first FIL was so hung up on not being seen as elderly, he made the GC call him Uncle X instead of any "grandparent" name. Now that really was twattish

How about Captain instead? Perhaps he could train your kids to answer to a different whistle as well?

Could this be some po faced weird joke on his part? If not - weirdo - but you probably already know that about him.

Some of the ludicrous names my grandma wanted to be called were hilarious. Anything to avoid being called “great grandma” by my children because it made her feel too old. In the end my children chose their own name for her that they could pronounce but no one from school knows what relation they are. If you’re going to use a name where the family relationship isn’t obvious, you may as well just tell your children to call him by his actual name!

Omg! Funny and wtf no way!

I'm assuming it will be much easier for you if say no with reason and there's a huge and obvious one.

Specifically -

Sorry dad but me and DH agree it just doesn't work at all in real life at all-

Eg

friend asks- What are you doing after school? Going to sir's house. Doesn't work. Certain schools that would imply teacher!

If you get ill and anyone asks child how you are they would say how's your sir? Grammatically awful!

With you and oh. Names /nicknames get used by more than child.
You/ DH saying look it's grandad/ we go to grandpa's house. Becomes YOU AND OH calling him sir as well! Yikes. Ditto anyone else. Neighbour says oh where's DC? You say. At sir's house?

Erm... Nope obv!

Advise list of acceptable terms to offer that aren't taken.

And in the end children often make up their own nicknames for family including parents! So whatever they ask... Doesn't guarantee it!

If serious then that's... Not reasonable at all and I would add it to list of 'reasons dad is difficult'..!

@Evianontoast

Yes, my dad was in the army before he retired and reached quite a senior rank. Being affectionate is not as important in his world as being respected. But I don't think that really counts with children... you'll be way more respected if your grandchildren love you, not fear you...and you can't force something like respect...

Well if he insists. You can always insist he calls you Mrs/Ms/miss surname.

And children just miss or master.

Master I suspect would get up his nose in particular

My uncle makes his grandchildren answer him yes Sir no Sir ect and they call him by his name. 🤣🤣

He is ridiculous. I imagine he is looking forward to a well scrubbed angelic child standing to attention and calling him Sir while looking up at him with eyes full of admiration and respect.

The reality will be more chaotic and much more fun.

It’s all moot really. Unless ‘Sir’ will be an active part of the child’s day to day life and insisting on the ridiculous name, the child will learn who Grandpa is through you and your husband. What you call him will be the thing that sticks so I would tell him that you are not referring to him as Sit, so choose between Grandad/ Grandpa whatever.

He can try to get a two year old to call him Sir but I don’t fancy his chances.

As in 'Sir' and 'Ma'am'? When I was a child in the UK, long ago, we were told children in the US used those terms for their parents, so it doesn't seem strange to me. Children find their own way to names, though. My dd called her great-grandfather by his surname, which always amused me.