Who Decides?? (Grandparents)

[sunnylove]

Question. Who decides what the grandparents get to be called? (Ie, papa, granddad, Nana, grandma, etc.) Is it the grandparents, or the parents of the baby??

My parents have a lot of grandchildren and confusingly enough, all their grandchildren call my mom something different. 3 refer to her as Grandma Nancy, and 3 refer to her as Nana. Grandma Nancy was started by the first grandchild, so I have no idea why Nana was started, but it's super weird. In any case, my mom hates Grandma Nancy and likes Nana.

I personally don't like Nana, I love Grandma Nancy, and since it was started by the first grandchild I think that's what my child should call her, but she insists on Nana.

Also, what is your child supposed to call step-grandparents? Especially if Grandma, Nana, etc are taken by paternal grandma and maternal grandma?

 

[cupcakekate]

My Mum is Grandma and MIL is Nanny, they chose themselves what they'd like to be called xxx

 

[AvianasMommy]

My mother and grandmother have always both been "grandma" to my daughter (never really had a discussion about it?) but it gets sort of confusing when everyone's together .

 

[dizz]

My MIL announced what she wanted to be - without asking us or anything... it's REALLY annoyed me the way she's done it - and since she's picked the variant that doesn't flow easily in our accent/dialect - I've ignored her!

 

[LockandKey]

After DD was born, my mother kept asking me this for the longest time, and I always replied with "whatever she wants to call you I guess," I just kind of let it come naturally, and when DD started talking, she was saying "Yaya," so now that's what my mother goes by, even though we do call her grama too, and my stepfather is grapa

 

[Twinkie210]

I let my Mom decide, but we just stuck with Grandma (no name after it) However we use Grandma ___ (name after it) when referring to my DH's mom. DH's Dad and Step Mom and DH's paternal Grandparents call themselves Nanny and Pop Pop, which I HATE! I still refer to them as Grandma ___ and Grandpa ___. What they call themselves is up to them. DH's Mom lives far away and DH's Dad never visits, so DS didn't really know who they were until he was older anyway and could process that we called them two different names.

DH's Step Mom passed away a couple years ago and he now has a new girlfriend who has the same name as my Mom! I really hope they don't get married because that would be super confusing to have two Grandma's with the same name (I may have to start using the Nanny name then!)

 

[MummyMana]

It should be up to the grandparents - I'd hate to be referred to as something I didn't want to be called, especially if I'd already specified. My Mum's going to be Nana, even though that's confusing because my nana is Nana :L but that's what she wants I do sometimes call her granny to wind her up though xD

 

[bekkie]

the grandparents chose - and they both want grandma/grandpa - one set live on a farm, the other in town... so one set is farm grandma/grandpa and the other is town grandma/grandpa *shrug*

 

[lozzy21]

I asked them what they want to be called. She has 5 grandmas, a nana, a gran and 4 grandads, (grandparents, step grandparents and great grandparents)

We have allways used Grandma/ Grandad and then their name so its less confusing.

 

[alicecooper]

My MIL is "nana" to my children, because they are her youngest grandchildren (DH's siblings have 8 children between them, all older than my kids), and all the others already called her nana, so as she was already known as nana it made sense for my kids to call her that too.

My mam is "granny" to my children, because I used to call my grandmother (my mam's mam) granny (or sometimes babcia as she was Polish), so my mam was used to hearing me call her mother that, so she automatically referred to herself as granny once my kids were born, so granny it is.

My dad is married to my step-mother, and she already had grandsons before I had kids, and they called my dad and step-mother "granddad" and "grandma".
My kids therefore call my dad "granddad" as well, but as I myself call my step-mother by her name (name), they call her "grandma June" instead of just "grandma".

So that's that :

nana
granny
granddad
grandma June

(FIL died about 18 years ago, way before I met DH, so the kids have no set 'name' for him. If he comes up in conversation we just refer to him as "your other granddad".)

 

[CatherineK]

My boys have my mom (Grammie) and my husbands parents (mawmaw and pawpaw) and my husbands grandmother (great mawmaw). The grandparents have the right to choose, I think. Although kids don't always comply My husband's parents are called nana and papa by here other grandkids, my kids just started using mawmaw and pawpaw and it stuck!

 

[Eleanor ace]

I see it as up to the grandparents to decide- I wouldn't want someone telling me what name I had to go by (as an adult, obviously my parents named me as a baby). MIL is Granny Scotland, FIL was Grandad, my mum is Nona/Mimi and my dad is Grandpa/Grandi

 

[Jess137]

To me, my grandparents have always been "Grandma Cathey, Grandma Nelson", etc. My daughter will be my parents' first grandchild and neither of them are even 50 yet so my mom isn't comfortable being called grandma. She wants to be called GiGi, and I'm fine with that. I wouldn't want to be called something I don't like. I don't think its a problem for the grandparents to choose what they want to be called (as long as if isn't something completely crazy and off the wall!).

 

[Zebra2023]

With us it is usually who ever is older they get called Grandma, the youngest gets called Nanna, but OH Mother is fussy and likes to act young so is whining that she doesn't want to be called Grandma, so I have no idea how it will work. We have thought of Nanan for the oldest and Nanna for the youngest. Grandad will be the same for both as it is like it in our family.

 

[Newt4]

My mil insisted on mum mum because that's what her other grand kids call her. Personally I don't like it as I'm all mom or mum. She's called gramma now because I personally don't like her being called mum mum.

 

[Leesy]

I think the grand parents choose? Never really thought about it before tbh. In my family most have different names. I call my grandparents

Nana Brown (mums mum)
Nana (dad's mum)
Pa ( dads dad)
Grandy (mum's dad)
Poppa (mums step dad)

My Lo and his cousins call great grand parents as above and their grand parents

Grammy (my mum)
Grumpy (my step dad)
Paj (my dad)
Nani (my step mum)
Gan Gan (MIL)
Grand Pa (FIL)

Lots there but thats what happens when you have a big dirvorced and remarried family!

 

[Firestar]

I asked all four (the two grandads don't really mind, both are too laid back for their own good sometimes!), and both our mums want grandma as they both hate the idea of being called "nanny" or "nana" which is fine by me - Grandma Kathy and Grandma Anne is perfectly ok IMO

 

[AllieM]

I would let the grandparents decide. The only names that are off the table are "mom" and "dad"! I don't let my kids dictate what they will call me and I feel it would belittle the grandparent to let the kids (or even myself) dictate what they were called. My MIL always wanted to be "Nana" as that's what her kids called her mom. I could never take that joy from her! She just has to understand that it's a little harder to find greeting cards that use "nana" instead of "grandma/grandmother"!

 

[Mizzy]

the grandparent decided here, if i callen my nan grandma i would get a clut rount the eat and a 'dont make me sound like a goat' remark, my other grandparent is Scottish so shes a grandma through choice/tradition. My mum has taken nanna (or nannar as the accent goes) and again would not be impressed with grandma, my OH's mum (again with her being scottish) is granny though her choice

 

[fionar]

My MIL and FIL are Grandma Anna and Dad Dad
My mom and dad are Grandma and Grandpa
My paternal grandparents are Oma and Opa
My maternal grandparents are Grandma Gayle and Grandpa Tom

For the most part they decided what they wanted to be called. My in-laws were easy, because they already had three grandsons who called them that. My parents thus got "Grandma and Grandpa". My paternal grandparents decided what they wanted to be called, my maternal grandparents have always been "Grandma and Grandpa Tom" to me, so it flowed naturally to my son (except he added my grandma's name).

Doesn't really bother me what they all want to be called just so it's not anything too complicated, since I have to remember to refer to them by those names when I talk to my son!