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Grandparenting

what do the grandchildren call you?

(89 Posts)
jackyann Thu 19-May-11 13:30:58

I shall soon be a first-time grandmother (love all the tips - thanks!)
In my area, the traditional names are: Nanna / nanny & Gramps / grampy.
In my family when we became adults it was thought that these names were childish, and we were invited to call our parents & grandparents by their given names (this goes back at least 3 generations)
However, when my children became adults they laughed at the idea of doing this - we remain "mum & dad", my parents remained "nanny & grampy", and their great-grandad had a family nickname that we all called him.
My parents recently died and I suppose we would traditionally become "nanny & grampy". I myself would be quite happy to be called by my given name (a suggestion that has caused even more hilarity!)
So: I find "grandma" formal, "nanny / nanna" fine for small children (but I hope to be around until they are adults).
My children think it's silly to use my given name (as if I don't want to be a granny - I do!!)
I don't have any cultural background to enable me to get round it by calling myself "oma / nonna" etc.

Please pitch in, you all have such good ideas about everything else!

Beakay Mon 25-Jul-11 12:09:38

My two granddaughters (now grownup) call me Annan and have done since toddlerhood. Why ? No idea , but I didn't want to be called Granny or Grandma. So now I share the name with an island and a football team!

allule Mon 25-Jul-11 14:43:28

I have nine grandchildren in four families, and the complication has been finding names they can all use which don't clash with those used for the 'other' grandparents - easy enough with the first, but gets more difficult with each new arrival.
I am 'Grandma', which only clashes with one, so we add our christian names, as suggested. My husband is 'Grandpa', where all the others are 'Grandads', so that has fallen into place.
I hate the name 'Nanna', but know others who feel the opposite way round. Luckily things seem to have sorted themselves out amicably in our family.

numberplease Mon 25-Jul-11 15:04:16

We are Grandma and Grandad to all our grandchildren, I definitely didn`t want to be Nanny or Nanna, although I think they all call their other grandmothers Nanny or Nan.

Faye Tue 26-Jul-11 02:11:31

I love it when they choose themselves. I refer to myself as Grandma, but eldest gd and eldest gs, are cousins and spent a lot of time together in their early years both called me Mumma for a few years, now they call me Grandma. Third grandchild called me Ahma but now he is three he calls me Grandma. Fourth grandchild also three calls me GRuumma, I think its the way she speaks. Youngest grandson also three has always called me Grandma. He also calls my mother Old Grandma while my other grandchildren call her Great Grandma. Their other grandparents range from Grandma, nanny, nana, papa, granddad and maybe a pop. It doesn't seem to matter, if they are referring to another grandmother they might say Grandma and then her first name.
Middle grandson was cross when his mother asked him if he knew that Grandma had another name. As far as he is concerned my only name is Grandma and that's it. smile

Parkgater Mon 08-Aug-11 15:16:45

I'm a step granny and the real granny is rather touchy. So, rather than cause any upset, my husband and I are Pops & Noni... and his ex wife is Granny. I'm v happy about this as I like being Noni, it sounds younger than "Granny".
I hasten to add that I'm treated like a "proper" granny by my stepson & his lovely wife. My Husband & I have been married for nearly 20 years & raised 3 boys who are all treated as our sons. We are now reaping the benefits of our family.
However, the "Ex" isn't so happy.....although she & my husband were divorced for 11 yrs before we married.. she is v jealous of our happiness & my relationship with HER son. She complained to him that I wasn't the child's granny & shouldn't consider myself such. I'm pleased to say she was firmly put in her place by my stepson.
I'm v proud of my combined family and my lovely grandson.

Jacey Mon 08-Aug-11 16:17:48

I used to call my grandmother ...'nanny' ...until I found out that was the name of a female goat! I was horrified ...so called her Gran ...as granny was a bit too close to nanny. She was fine about the change when I explained why.

riclorian Mon 08-Aug-11 16:41:11

We are Oma and Poppa

nonnasusie Tue 09-Aug-11 15:25:56

I am a step grandmother to 1 and have 2 that belong to my children so as we live in Italy and my husband is Italian we are nonno & nonna (hence user name). It saves confusion!!

whenim64 Fri 18-Apr-14 15:16:59

I revived this thread because yesterday one of my little grandaughters was invited by her mum to explain to me who her nanas are.

MiL is 'nana jar' because she's called Janet. I am 'nana car' because I always turn up in my car................

Then there is my ex-DH's partner who insists on being called nana, too. It doesn't bother any of us enough to take issue with her. The children rarely see her, anyway. Her name is Chris......or, as little A calls her......'nana piss!'

I know we shouldn't, but grin

granjura Fri 18-Apr-14 15:40:36

Very simple- granny and granpa smile

DebnCreme Fri 18-Apr-14 15:56:58

whenim64 that's just brilliant tbugrin

annodomini Fri 18-Apr-14 16:02:19

Try to follow this: one set of GSs have two grannies, known as Granny A and Granny E; their mother's father is Granda and his second wife is Granny M; their great grandmother is Granny. They don't see my ex and his wife often enough to have to call them anything. My other GC call me Granny or Gran.

Galen Fri 18-Apr-14 16:06:03

I'm Graggy! Heaven knows why.
The other gran got in first with Grandmatbusad

Dragonfly1 Fri 18-Apr-14 16:17:51

I've always been nanny, but littlest started out with nanna. This week it's morphed into Ninny. And mumma has become mimmy. And dadda is diddy. Love it.

ffinnochio Fri 18-Apr-14 16:45:35

when tbugrin First chuckle of the day!

gratefulgran54 Fri 18-Apr-14 17:32:03

I am Granny to all my tiddlers, although my 'official' title is actually Little Granny, as there is still a Big Granny (great-grandmother). This has followed on from when my sons were small, and her mother was still alive (great-great-grandmother). My parents were always Grandma and Grandpa to my boys, which they loved, and I'm sure, had they still been with us, the tiddlers would call them the same.

The DiL's mums both opted for Nanny, so it's always been clear to the tiddlers who everyone is. The Grandads are just that...Grandad (or Grandan as DGS3 calls them).
My eldest 3 GC don't have an immediate Grandad sadly, as my DiL's Father has passed away, and my ex has no contact at all (his choice), but they have their Uncles and cousins, and Big Grandad (spouse of Big Granny obviously) so have not missed out on other male members of the family.

The only odd thing about the whole set-up is that Big Granny and Grandad are actually my ex's parents, but they are very much part of our lives, and we all see them at least once a fortnight, adults and tiddlers alike.....he sees his parents maybe 2-3 times a year, in spite of living in the same town as them.

Penstemmon Fri 18-Apr-14 17:52:26

I wanted to be and am known as Nana as my mum was to my DDs and her mum was to me.
DH tried to be Grandpa, like his dad, but DGC1 name for him turned out to be GaGa so we all let that stick. Now they call him Gargs or Gargle -la-laconfused

rosequartz Fri 18-Apr-14 21:38:30

DGD2 age 2 in conversation with DH:

"Dad-dad"
"Can you say Grandad?"
"Dad-dad"
"Say Grandad" (said slowly)
"Dad-dad"
"Try saying G R A N D A D"
"***" (his Christian name, said in exasperation)
End of conversation.

ninathenana Sat 19-Apr-14 13:16:52

DGS#2 has special needs and says very few words. Oddly nana is one of them.
He would say this for months before he could say mumma. Yesterday for the first time he used the sign for grandad much to DH`s delight.

Nelliemoser Sat 19-Apr-14 13:49:01

I am now officially Nannan a local south Yorkshire term. My co-inlaw is Grandma.
Only very recently has DGS 19mnths, and now with a very rapidly growing vocabulary, has actually referred to his Mum as "Mummy" and pointed to himself and said "Name".

geeljay Thu 24-Apr-14 00:41:34

Nanny Gill generally, but 2 year old twinny great grandaughters have morphed this into GeeGee. OH is Bompah to them, but Granps to the older grandchildren. The names they gave us were all chosen by 'the kids' Our own children refer to us in conversation with their offspring as Nanny Gill and Gandad Gord. When we send them a card we send it from Gramps.

FlicketyB Thu 24-Apr-14 09:35:23

Following family tradition we are Grandma and Grandpa. There is only one Grandpa but the two Grandmas are differentiated by the addition of their Christian name, so I am Grandma FlicketyB, she is Grandma Chris.

I never heard the use of Nan or Nanny for a grandmother as a child, everyone I knew spoke of grandma or granny. I understand that my own maternal grandmother was asked about being a nanny and replied that she refused to be called by a name commonly associated with goats, since she was Irish that was probably the association she knew. I think what a grandparent is called quite often depends on region and community, as well as family.

annodomini Thu 24-Apr-14 09:44:17

In Scotland, grandmothers were - perhaps still are - mostly grannies. I remember our family being quite shocked when my aunt asked her GC to call her 'nana'. The same goes for the Northern Irish GPs of two of my GSs.

Mogsmaw Thu 01-May-14 22:40:24

I'm "granny grant"' my younger daughter told me, who am I to disagree. He is "pops" for the same reason. I like being granny grant. My elder daughter ( they both have their own daughter ) has agreed with the names but we await our granweans opinions.
My girls called my mum "puffin gran" , she liked puffins, this was their own invention. Dd1's father in law thinks this is hilarious and says we should continue the practice and call his wife " spanny granny" as
they have a spaniel. She does not think its funny at all!
The kids will decide what you are called. The only thing I don't fell happy adout is one dad's mum is known as " other granny" and I'm not having that. It sound cold like she is sidelined and it's not by me!

Glammy Thu 19-Jun-14 21:32:38

As per my username I am Glammy, chosen by my daughter who maintained it suited me. My husband wanted to be Grampy as that was his Dad's title but gd has decided on Grampsy. New grandson will presumably just follow suit but it will be interesting to see.