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AC who call their parents by their Christian names

(94 Posts)
TrendyNannie6 Sun 31-Jan-21 10:11:42

Is this a new thing! I’d only ever heard it on Corrie, David calling his mum GAil, obviously there are a lot of step parents known called by their Christian name, I must admit when I first heard someone we know call his mum Louise is did make me do a double take!

Witzend Sun 31-Jan-21 10:15:19

My dh and his brothers all called their mother by her name.
But for some reason, not their father.

grandtanteJE65 Sun 31-Jan-21 10:15:32

I don't think it is very new. I had schoolfriends when I was a teenager who did this. It was considered very modern then.

Since the 1970s most adults seem to call their in-laws by their Christian names instead of saying mum and dad.

As long as no-one in the family minds, it is all right to me.

Urmstongran Sun 31-Jan-21 10:20:36

Our youngest daughter has called us by our first names since she was 15 years old. (25y ago now - wow!). It started out as a joke, which stuck. Elder daughter was away at uni and was amused when she came home for holiday visits. We don’t mind in the least as we are all very close. I persist in writing ‘mum and dad’ on her birthday card for some reason!

Baggs Sun 31-Jan-21 10:21:01

All my kids have always called me by my first name. I didn't want to be calle Mum. Happy to be known as their mum but I love my first name and didn't want to waste it.

Oldest DD is nearly forty so not particularly new.

Daddima Sun 31-Jan-21 10:23:38

My sons alternate between the two, usually using my name when talking to me ( but usually in a kind of jokey way), but Mum when talking about me. They did the same with the Bodach. Grandchildren use my name too, but prefaced by Gran.
In my family, my grandfather and father were always called by their names, and their children did likewise. I don’t know why.

NotAGran55 Sun 31-Jan-21 10:26:36

My sons now work with their dad in his business, planning to take it over, at home he is dad and work his name ( customers and other staff around).

Calendargirl Sun 31-Jan-21 10:27:14

We are still ‘Mum and Dad’ to our AC. Our SIL and DIL call us by our Christian names.

I wouldn’t want them to call us M and D as we are not their parents.

My sister still wants to be called ‘Mr and Mrs ‘ by hers, which is how we addressed our in laws until we had children, then it was just Grandma and Grandad from the children and me.

Times change, and what was deemed respectful 50 years ago now seems old fashioned.

silverlining48 Sun 31-Jan-21 10:30:00

Not parents, but we recently watched the Danish Netflix Rita and was surprised that the children called teachers by their first names.

timetogo2016 Sun 31-Jan-21 10:30:35

I wouldn`t like it tbh,i find it disrespectful and i would have had a clout if i called my parents by their first name.
My children call me mom/mother and their children call me grandma
That`s my opinion be it old fashioned or not.

biba70 Sun 31-Jan-21 10:33:07

We had friends in the 70s and 80s who didn't want their children to call them mum and dad. Found it really daft.

Same for grandparents who do not want to be called anything that identifies them as grand-parents. Up to them though- but it does make me laugh.

Calendargirl- just can't believe anyone these days to insist on dils and sils to call them Mr and Mrs. Wow.

Grandma70s Sun 31-Jan-21 10:35:10

I suppose it would solve the problem of what to call your parents once you feel too old to say Daddy and Mummy. It’s a problem I never solved. They (and I) didn’t like Mum and Dad, they wanted me to call them Mother and Father, but that felt too formal. In the end I avoided calling them anything. My brother compromised with Ma and Pa. First names would have been unthinkable.

silverlining48 Sun 31-Jan-21 10:38:58

I called my in laws mr and mrs until we had children. Then it was nanny and grandad but when speaking to them directly I used to have to try and somehow attract their attention before I spoke. It was really awkward at times. Wish I could have used their first names it would have been much easier.

Kim19 Sun 31-Jan-21 10:39:43

My GC sometimes have a go at my name but I think they are just testing their parameters and their parents usually intervene. I say nothing but usually give a wry grin (I think?!)

EllanVannin Sun 31-Jan-21 10:40:21

I don't care what I'm called so long as it's not too late for my dinner.

Even mum and her next door neighbour always addressed each other as Mrs ( surname ) never by their Christian names. Strange lot in the 50's grin

Stepchildren address me in name but stepGC call me Nan, even the older ones and their offspring. About 20 in all.

Calendargirl Sun 31-Jan-21 10:42:06

I know Biba, but my sister is quite proud that they are still not called by their Christian names,

One DIL refers to my sister as ‘John’s mother’ when talking about her to other people.

I’m pleased my DIL just calls me Calendar!

Daddima Sun 31-Jan-21 10:46:37

silverlining48

Not parents, but we recently watched the Danish Netflix Rita and was surprised that the children called teachers by their first names.

Digressing a wee bit, but when I worked in early years, we had two new nursery staff who insisted that they had been taught in college that it was much more friendly if the children called them by their first names. I pointed out that they were not the children’s friends, so Miss or Ms would do nicely, but that’s a whole new discussion for another day!

Iam64 Sun 31-Jan-21 10:46:49

In the 70’s it was very common for children to be encouraged to use first names, rather than mum and dad.
My daughters started to use my first name as their friends did. Now I get mum when they’re worried about anything, first name when they phone with fun news and mummi first name as well. My sons in law use my given name.
I’d not want to go back to those stilted days when in laws were Mr and Mrs, or worse, mum and dad.

Nannarose Sun 31-Jan-21 10:47:20

My father (born 1925) always in my lifetime called his father by his first name.
When I got married (1972) my parents & grandfather said it was time for me to call them by their first names.
So I don't think of it as 'trendy' or 'modern', in our family it was more a sign of being an adult.
Interestingly, when my parents asked their grandchildren to call them by their first names they said they didn't want to, and they want to call me 'mum' still as well.

Urmstongran Sun 31-Jan-21 10:51:49

We are ‘grandma’ and ‘grandad’ though I’m happy to report!
?

henetha Sun 31-Jan-21 10:53:48

Well, each to his own. It wouldn't sit well with me though, I am proud to be Mum and Nan.

silverlining48 Sun 31-Jan-21 10:56:25

What I meant to say is that I didn’t want to call my in laws mum And dad which was what was expected In those days.

TerriBull Sun 31-Jan-21 11:05:35

One of my sons, aged 13 or so, we were at a family gathering, was calling over to my husband "dad" "dad" without any response, after doing that for the umpteenth time, just yelled out first name instead, husband looked up straight away! My son said "see dad's just like us, he tells us we suffer from selective deafness, but he's the same! grin

tanith Sun 31-Jan-21 11:09:58

One of my GDs calls her Mum by her name I think it started when her brothers girlfriends were about and called her by her name, she doesn’t seem to mind although her 3 boys all use Mum.

granzilla Sun 31-Jan-21 11:12:57

I'd be most unimpressed if my two started that nonsense.
Most disrespectful.
I asked DH what he thought, he said he didn't feel as strongly but would want to know who they were and what had they done with our (40+ year old) children. smile