My in laws didn’t want to designate how they would be called, which is fine but they are called the same as my parents but the kids either use their first or last names. It was annoying to my mom because she wanted the various grandparents to be called differently.
I decided that I would be Mimi. My daughter will say it’s meemaw but no! We are Mimi and pop pop.
We only have one granddaughter and her other grandma is grandma.
When my daughter has a baby, her mil will be Nonna as they are of Italian heritage.
Our daughter gave birth last spring, so this name thing came up. SIL has parents who are both remarried so lots of grandparents to keep straight. D suggested Grandma and Grandpa FirstName for all, except his mother wanted to be Nana, which was what her late mother was called. Plus his dad wanted to be Papa, which is what the step-grandkids already call him. Plus step-mother and I share the same first name.
I was leaning toward Gram, but decided Mimi is easier for a baby to say (not that the child is saying anything yet).
When I was growing up all the grandkids (and there were dozens) called my Texas grandparents MaMaw and PaPaw. My mother said that’s because the oldest cousin wasn’t smart enough to say Grandma and Grandpa
It wasn’t until I moved to the South that I learned that’s what most grandparents were called there.
I wouldn’t say that Grandma and Grandpa are unusual but it’s more the generic term like you might say “we’re going my grandma’s house” but when you get there you call her Nana or Memaw or Grammy or Grandwhatever.
I have known of Big in reference to grandparents too like Big Dad or Big Daddy.
My sister is a grandma now and she is Mimi and her husband is Papa.
We’re part Norwegian so I am MorMor, their word for grandmother. It literally means mother’s mother. My husband was Grampy, but GD had a hard time with that, so she calls him Grumpy, which is very appropriate.
Hmm. My comment still stands. Grandma and Grandpa are what the grands say, just like my kids said to their grandparents and I said to mine. And that’s still what most people I know called their grandparents. Definitely doesn’t seem formal or "generic "to me. I mean, “Mom” doesn’t sound generic either. I’ve literally never heard that question before.
I agree. And I never would have thought it would be common to say something like we’re going to grandma’s house and then call her something completely different once the grandkids get there.
The bottom line is that grandparents are called tons of different things and whatever works for the family is great.
When I was a little girl, an older cousin of my mom’s became a grandmother. She chose one of the names mentioned above which, at the time, was not something used. Her reason…she didn’t want anyone to know she was old enough to be a grandmother🤦🏻♀️
I think most people who use another name don’t say that they are going to grandma’s house. We say that we are going to Grammy’s, and my parents said that we were going to Granny’s, or PawPaw’s, or whatever the relative is called.
I meant like I might’ve said “we are going to my mom”s house” but I never called my mom “mom”. She was always Mama. Just like you might say “we are going to my sister’s” but then you might call her by her name not “Sister” or “Sis” when you are there, but you could call her “Sis” if you wanted.
Grandma and Grandpa are familiar terms for the relationship. They can also be the names they are called or they might be called something else like Nana and Papa but the relationship can still be described by Grandma and Grandpa.
My kids occasionally refer to us as Mom and Dad when talking to us face to face but not that much. We get called a variety of nicknames, but I’m sure to their friends they say “my dad” and “my mom”. I know what’s what I did with my mom and dad who were always Mama and Daddy in person. My weirdo brother called our mom Mother though.
H & I just wanted to be called something different than the other grands. I’m glad we did, as both sets of grands are very involved – and even though she’s young – GD knows who everyone is. We all bring something different to her life.
My brother was called Carpet by his step grand (who lived with them from birth to kindergarten). This is because he would always play with him down on the carpet. He thought it was so sweet and it broke his heart a little when the child’s mom told the grandson to call him a proper grandparent name.
My dad’s dad was called fa fa, he started by being called grandfather. My dad’s grandfather was granda, he started with granddad. My dad wanted to be called granda, he ended up being called da. All of my kids’ friends called him da, my friends that I met after having kids called him da, he LOVED his name. Growing up both grandmas were called grandma, so I had a grandma fa fa and a grandma pop pop.
I’ve shared this before, but I have a friend who called her maternal grandmother, “My Mama.” Because her mother would say to her brothers and her, “We’re going to my mama’s house.” So, that’s how her grandma name came about.
I am kind of perplexed over all the division on what to be called. Or what to call others.
I don’t care what I’m called as long as it’s not unpleasant or derogatory! By grandchildren or my my kids. Especially now that they are adults. If they want to refer to me as “abasket” to their friends that’s fine! Just get the content right!
I often referred to my mom as “grandma” - not just when talking about her to my kids. She didn’t seem to mind - it’s a role she cherished - not that she assigned to select people as ok to refer to her as. I also called her mom. It just depended .
Some of the most cherished names of PEOPLE -grandparents, siblings, dogs….come from the mouth of babes who give them when their lips and language allow them to label and express. Totally homegrown.
I grew up in PA, and my grandmother was MomMom because the first grandchild started calling her that. Grandfather was PaPa.
We will be grandparents in March, and it’s amazing how many people have asked us what we want to be called. I don’t want Mimi or Nanny. I’m fine with Grandma, but should I pick something else? The pressure. I’m leaning towards Granny, Grammy, Gram or Grams. Or Grandma.
But the boys, (yes it will be twins) will live in Copenhagen, and they might call me MorMor which is fine with me. In fact, I want them to choose, but in the meantime, I’ll refer to myself as one of the names I’m considering,
They were trying to teach my nephew to say Big D for my father as that’s what a lot of our friends had called him when we were growing up(my father and brother were ‘Big’ and "little’, not sr and jr). It became Big Dada and that’s what it stayed for more than 35 years and 10 grandchildren. Same nephew was very confused on what to call my mother and was going to go with Big Mama (but my mother quashed that quickly) and then he was going with N’s (me) Mama (as he kept hearing me call her mom). She suggested Nana and it was Nana for him, all grandchildren, and thousands of other kids and adults. One of my brothers runs youth leagues and have 700 or so kids a year and every one of them, their parents, our friends, etc all called her that. Most had no idea what her name was. The spouses and grandchildren’s boyfriends all called her that. I don’t think I can ever be Nana because it was my mother’s identity for so many years.
My friends? A Mimi (first name Mary), a Cici (Connie), and a bunch of Grandmas.
My husband and I decided to be called Grandma and Grandpa. Our oldest granddaughter couldn’t say Grandpa so she called my husband Cuppa. Cuppa is now the name that all three granddaughters call him. I’m still Grandma and I have to admit I’m a bit jealous!
I never knew my father’s parents-- they died in the Old Country-- but my mother’s parents were Nonno and Nonna.
When we had our daughter, my parents became Nonna and Nonna to her, and my husband’s parents were Grandma and Grandpa (their preference).
My DH says he’d want to be called Grandpa if our daughter ever has kids. I don’t feel like a Nonna, myself. I also don’t feel like a Grandma. I wouldn’t mind a unique, grandkid-chosen name. But definitely no royal sounding titles!
I guess we’ll see how we, and the other set of grandparents, feel about it, if and when the time comes. For now it’s moot.
