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AIBU

Names

(155 Posts)
Razzy Thu 25-Apr-19 16:23:37

Am I being unreasonable? My mother-in-law refuses to use her grand child’s proper name, because she doesn’t think it is right that we’ve used both my husband’s surname and mine as our child’s last names. We are married but kept our own names. In fact mine is at the very end, but she refuses to use it. It really annoys me and I know my OH had another go at her about it.
I completely understand that it wasn’t like that in her day, but if she wants to use that logic I should give up work and get my husband to pay for everything.
Would it be unreasonable of me to call her Grandma Bob from now on, because I prefer it, instead of Grandma Barbara? ?

breeze Sat 27-Apr-19 15:30:45

Presumably dannirae it was telling op to call the mil Bob. I couldn't find anything side splitting either confused

123coco Sat 27-Apr-19 15:01:03

* Nonnie *. Well you might think it’s a fad but many people do not. And as for the future, we’ll many European countries manage perfectly well where there are multiple names used and many other countries use the maternal mother and grandmother names as surnames. And the sky doesn’t fall in. I wonder if the Rees-Moggs have been accused as being faddish. No I think this is a view that people who aren’t born with a d-b name are getting above their station! Sad !

DanniRae Sat 27-Apr-19 15:00:12

I am very puzzled by your post Onestepbeyond because I have gone back through all previous pages and I can't see a post from maryeliza let alone one to make you spit water all over your keyboard??
Can you explain this?
Thank you........I hope your keyboard is not damaged!

Onestepbeyond Sat 27-Apr-19 14:29:31

@maryeliza54 Thanks- I just spat water all over my keyboard...wink

Bibbity Sat 27-Apr-19 14:16:58

The next generation will make their own decisions regarding their names and the names of their children. Not very difficult and doesn’t affect anyone else.

ExaltedWombat Sat 27-Apr-19 14:08:02

Good question about what happens in the NEXT generation though!

stella1949 Sat 27-Apr-19 14:00:44

I'm happy to call my GC what their parents call them. But I can't say I ever use their surnames - why would I ? The whole thing seems like a storm in a teacup.

Saggi Sat 27-Apr-19 13:55:59

Hi Bibbity....I’m with you on this one. I don’t like either of my grandkids names...but I use them. Thier names belong to them. This mother in law is disrespectful and needs a good hand slapping.

jocork Sat 27-Apr-19 13:43:44

Ellie666 Not sure who your first post is aimed at but I disagree with your second, that people are trying to be better than others. Most people these days who add a surname are trying to recognise that their children are part of two families that have come together. I considered keeping my surname as it was unusual. I was often asked where it came from and my flippant reply was 'From my dad.' but there are few left from my relatives with the name as my father had sisters who both changed their names, as I did on marriage. I wish I'd kept it in some form. It has continued as my brother had 2 sons but unusual names can potentially be lost which is sad. The OP nowhere suggests she is better than you!

Ellie666 Sat 27-Apr-19 13:25:42

Where did Granma Bob come from, that is not short for Barbara? or are you just being thick?

Ellie666 Sat 27-Apr-19 13:19:25

To me anyone can have a double-barrel name if they want one but don't force it onto other people. Making people call you by the full double-barrel name shows you are just so far up you own backside that you think you are better than anyone else [ people I just cannot stand ]. Be known in public by one surname or the other but not both, just makes you look so stuck-up, I suppose that is really the main reason people do it to try and be better than other people. Cannot stand people who insist on being called by both surnames, stop trying to be something you are not. You are no better than I am.

Ellie666 Sat 27-Apr-19 13:09:37

Stupid comment

quizqueen Sat 27-Apr-19 13:00:49

If you want to make a point then just return all wrongly addressed posted mail or hand delivered cards back to her, unopened. I can't see how it will occur when spoken unless it's how she speaks about her grandchild to her friends.
If that is the case, then correct her in front of them or if they use it incorrectly because that is what they have been told before so won't know differently, then speak to them personally and say how annoying you find it.

Callistemon Sat 27-Apr-19 12:38:15

As far as I am concerned it would warrant a big sigh and an utterance of 'Your Mother!!!' in exasperation.
But then, I dearly loved my exasperating MIL.

icanhandthemback Sat 27-Apr-19 12:34:53

I'm not sure I could bring myself to fall out with somebody who was being petty about a name and I certainly wouldn't threaten that she wouldn't see the child but I might return to sender with "Not known at this address!" for anything not addressed correctly if I was in the wrong mood when it arrived. I'd probably just let her get on with it and put it down to her lacking the social graces of a younger generation.

Callistemon Sat 27-Apr-19 12:28:43

- - - - - - - -
is useful

Bibbity Sat 27-Apr-19 12:17:43

But she hasn’t just assumed. The OP says that her husband has had to explain this multiple times to his mother.

A first occurrence could easily be forgiven for a mistake but this has clearly become a show of stubbornness.

Callistemon Sat 27-Apr-19 12:15:51

If it's not hyphenated it is not double barrelled, it is just another name and people would assume that the last name only is the surname.

leemw711 Sat 27-Apr-19 12:08:52

Hi Razzy, what’s so weird about having a double-barrelled surname? It’s exactly what my husband and I did when our 2 sons were born, with his name first followed by my own one. Worked for us!

Callistemon Sat 27-Apr-19 12:08:24

Razzy did you hyphenate your two surnames? Perhaps your MIL just assumes that your surname has been used as a second forename?
That happened in my own family, a surname has been used as a second forename for boys in the family for centuries.

Bibbity Sat 27-Apr-19 12:07:21

History of this disagreement?! What disagreement I have no idea who you are!

Nonnie Sat 27-Apr-19 12:05:34

Me too Callistemon grin

Callistemon Sat 27-Apr-19 12:03:49

Iam64 I shouldn't say this, but I was a bit relieved to take on DH's surname when I married and wouldn't have double-barrelled it.
sorry Dad.

Bibbity Sat 27-Apr-19 12:02:42

I’m absolutely baffled. I made a comment which Several other made and yet I’ve been jumped on repeatedly. I’ve not been given a reason for this other than some vague reference to some other threads!
What exactly have I done wrong?!

Why is it OK for Nonnie to follow me here and make such comments?

Nonnie Sat 27-Apr-19 12:02:21

anxious if gn makes you anxious perhaps you should avoid it but when one poster disagrees with another it is not directed at you so please don't take it personally. Incidentally it was not me who used the word 'nut'.

There is history to this disagreement and my comments were for the benefit of the OP who could have been driven to behave in a way they might regret if they had followed the advice given by someone who is young and has no contact with her MiL. I don't know if she does much on other threads but have seen a lot of MiL bashing, so much that I remember it and, because I care about other people, I wanted to put some perspective on her post.

I'm sorry if this upset you and hope you will now understand that I said it for the benefit of the OP. I have a great relationship with my sons' wives so it was not about me!