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Grandparents name issues

(106 Posts)
Bunnny Sat 13-Jun-26 18:50:14

I am really angry and annoyed by this. The partial grandmother keeps referring to us as gran and and grandad and then using our first names on the end. I have asked her not to do this and also told her son to ask her to stop.
She does not listen and so it continues and my daughter says what the problem it’s not such a big issue. But I think it is and we feel it is disrespectful to us both. Now their children are starting to us this and we are having to correct them which I don’t think is fair and also confusing for them. Also she just likes to be known has nanna.

knspol Wed 17-Jun-26 15:12:14

Really don't think this is a problem I've always been known as Grandma X and so has my counterpart. Never bothered either of us.
If it's such a problem for you I would just call her Nanny X and maybe this will make her have a rethink about how she refers to you. I would definitely not correct the children, it's not fair to confuse them or involve them in this ill will.

MissAdventure Wed 17-Jun-26 15:11:39

grin

dalrymple23 Wed 17-Jun-26 14:54:55

I think that it was Shirley Conran who banned the use of any grandparental name as "it was a status conferred upon me which I did not request"!! I tended to agree. My children's children call me "Mrs D" (they have not yet learned to click their heels!!).

My mother insisted that my grandparents were referred to as "Grandmama and Grandpapa", followed by the surname. Similarly, my children had to address them in the same way (what a mouthful for a tiny!). On the flip side, my former husband's parents were "Grumpy and Frumpy", which suited them!!

GRAMERCY Wed 17-Jun-26 14:27:56

My great grand children have lots of nans, great nans, grand dads and great grand dads. We are all known by our names as well as the granny bit. For example: Nanny Sue, Grand dad Pete, Bampi John (that’s Welsh) etc. The children then don’t get muddled up about who people are talking about. I think it’s nice.

Magme Wed 17-Jun-26 14:23:57

I had one grandmother locally and she was referred to as Nanny ‘Surname’, and to differentiate the other was referred to as Nanny ‘in Birmingham’. Neither of them knew, as to their faces they were each just Nanny. I must admit that I thought for a long while that ‘in Birmingham’ was that Nanny’s surname 😂.

sandye Wed 17-Jun-26 14:10:44

No problem to me, we use the same way to differentiate between four sets of grandparents and great grandparents,

Roddi3363 Wed 17-Jun-26 14:10:25

We are Oma and Opa as in Germany. My husband’s parents were Omi and Opa. My parents were Grandma and Grandpa. Having different names makes life easier

Pleasebenice Wed 17-Jun-26 14:03:51

I am confused as to why this is an issue now as it sounds like the children are old enough talk. Did it not get sorted when they were babies? Try not to fall out and remember the Mums Mum generally get best access to the grandchildren. Apparently small babies pick up that mum is more relaxed around her own mum and decide you are a safe person!

Devorgilla Tue 16-Jun-26 22:19:16

Honestly, Bunny, I would not get wound up about this. Children grow up. When my GC were born I was known as Granny X and the other grandmother as Granny Y. Once the kids were old enough it just became Granny and Gran. If you ask them to pass you something just use the term without any other names attached. E.g. Pass Gran/Granny the salt please. It will resolve itself.

watermeadow Mon 15-Jun-26 09:31:41

My children had a Granny (my mother) and a Grandma and Grandpa (his). My grandchildren just naturally had the same so I’m Granny. No one around here says Nanny or Nana.

M0nica Mon 15-Jun-26 09:13:21

Smg1950 your post is on a thread discussing what our grandchildren call us, so it is possible that many who could answer your uery will not see it. I suggest you start a new thread. Click on 'Forums' at the top of the pag, click on 'Health' Then click on the orange box saying 'Start a discussion and repost as a new thread.

Smg1950 Mon 15-Jun-26 09:04:44

Hi I have dry eyes and use warm eye mask drops etc but have read about Zest procedure used in Boots and Specsavers to clean eyelids . Has anyone tried this and had success?

Esmay Mon 15-Jun-26 08:54:12

I have never been called Grandma , Gran or Grannie ,Nan or Nannie by any of my grandchildren.
Instead I am called by my pet name,which is used by my children.
It doesn't really bother me.

Doodledog Mon 15-Jun-26 07:15:48

Pride? How is wanting to be called by the name you have chosen (in the same way as the other grandmother) prideful?

It’s a matter of respect, IMO. Not calling someone by their name is very disrespectful, particularly when asked to use the correct one.

welbeck Mon 15-Jun-26 07:11:32

Pride goeth before a fall.
Self importance will ruin your life and relationships if you let it.
Be grateful that you have people esp GC who want to see you.

NotSpaghetti Mon 15-Jun-26 06:56:08

The "fuss" as I see it, is not just that the OP doesn't like the name but that, knowing it's not liked, the person repeatedly using it is not even the child or the mum or dad who you might think might have a say.

The person determined to use it is the other grandmother!

I think we can probably all agree that it's not acceptable behavior if they have been asked not to do it.

Whiff Mon 15-Jun-26 05:42:01

My children called their grandparents granddad then their name and nannie then their name. When my father in law died my dad was just granddad. When we where with them all together nannie then their name so nannie knew who they where talking to etc.

My grandsons call me nannie when its just me . But when with their other nannie they say our name after nannie. My son in laws dad is just grandad . My husband died when he was 47. But when I or my daughter tell the boys stories of him its grandad and his name.

I don't know what the fuss is about . It saves confusion who the boys are talking to or telling stories about.

My brother's children called his mother in law nannie Pete . Pete was the dog they still called her that long after the dog died.

M0nica Sun 14-Jun-26 23:54:40

I refer to DS's MiL as my 'companion' grandmother rather than 'the other' Grandma. She has become a good friend and we are both united in ourlove of our mutual grandchildren (and their parents)

Chardy Sun 14-Jun-26 21:33:59

Grandma70s

I’d never even heard the use of the word nanny for a grandmother until I worked in Liverpool. Nanny was definitely a nursemaid to me, still is.

My own grandparents were granny and grandpa, grandfather and grandma.

When my first grandchild was born, the other grandmother asked me if I’d rather be granny or grandma. I chose Grandma, because I had happy memories of my own grandma, so the other one is Granny. She insisted on giving me first choice. Nobody mentioned nannies.

My South London grandmother was Nanny. Our cousins were slightly older, that's what they called her. So we did too.

Wyllow3 Sun 14-Jun-26 21:02:32

sorry, typo - I wrote "bawling up the wrong tree" instead of "barking up the wrong tree"

Wyllow3 Sun 14-Jun-26 21:01:42

I can understand a possible feeling that the "other gran" is trying to be "top gran" by imposing a name you do not want, and the family don't understand this dynamic - or maybe do - -but "don't want to get involved".

People do act out this kind of stuff is the reality. and if I am bawling up the right tree ...

....and you trying to get others in there family involved and it not working can just make she who wants to be "top gran" more satisfied.

What to do about it is quite another matter.

In my case I know the other gran is sort of top gran in terms of contact with the family - but the person concerned would never ever think about that or do anything spiteful about it.

It's easy to say "rise above it" or "it wouldn't bother me" unless you know the people very very well. but you cant give her the pleasure of thinking it is really bothering you if you can help it.

MissAdventure Sun 14-Jun-26 20:46:39

Would you reallly all do these things, in front of your grandchildren?
Assuming, that is, that you don't get together for social meetings.

Iam64 Sun 14-Jun-26 20:41:26

I can’t see the big problem. Fashions for naming relatives change. I’m grannie first name then we have nana and grannie with her cats name tagged on. Grandads have their first names tagged on, again three of them
Every family finds its way of naming, the idea of getting wound up about it seems daft to me

butterandjam Sun 14-Jun-26 20:08:37

I'd award her some nickname she really doesn't like and use it every single time she misnames you.

stillawipp Sun 14-Jun-26 19:25:09

It’s nothing to do with what you are called or not called, in my opinion OP, it’s to do with a lack of respect from another adult when you have made it clear that you don’t like it! It’s patronising & I totally understand why you are upset. Is there a paternal grandfather? Could you speak to him about it maybe?