Gransnet forums

Grandparenting

What's in a name?

(70 Posts)
phizz Mon 11-Jan-16 20:10:22

I am the proud possessor of a seven month old great grandson.

Although it won't arise for a few years yet, my problem is this..
by what name should I be known to the little one?

'Grandma' of course is already taken so what best for me I wonder.

If anyone has any bright ideas I'd be so glad for you to share them with me.

aprilgrace Sun 17-Jan-16 16:28:37

My 20 month old granddaughter came up with Grandma Grandma for my mum, her Great Grandma.She's on the right lines.

NfkDumpling Sun 17-Jan-16 16:01:44

What about all those wonderful nannies employed by the better off? Are they all goats too?

Bijou Sun 17-Jan-16 15:50:30

According to the Oxford Dictionary, nana is "a silly person" and nanny is "a female goat". I have always been called "grandma" and "great grandma" and am still "Auntie" to my 70 year old niece.

cathyd Sun 17-Jan-16 15:46:20

My cousin is called Tutu by her grandchildren, it is Hawaiian and can be used by either grandparent and is easy for children to say.

NfkDumpling Sun 17-Jan-16 14:37:41

I'm Nanny Og - as in Terry Prachetts witches. My DC decided. Strangely I find I can actually identify with her! DH is Grandad Grumps or just Grumps, which he relishes.

Skweek1 Sun 17-Jan-16 14:35:43

My son couldn't pronounce Grandpapa, so the greats were Grandmama and Grandpumpa, my PIL Grandma and Grandpa and my mum Granny. Worked a treat! The one potential difficulty was when FIL decided to marry a girl younger than me - most of the time I used her Christian name, but to tease her when I got pregnant, I started calling her Gran, which irritated her no end!grin

marpau Sun 17-Jan-16 14:31:55

I know a great grandmother who is referred to as gran gran

tiredoldwoman Sun 17-Jan-16 14:23:46

My grandchildren called my Mum Granny Granny , so good they named it twice !
I'm just Granny .

MaryXYX Sun 17-Jan-16 13:56:45

One of my daughters said her children already have two Grandmas so I can be Nana. I don't mind, it's better than my children who tell their children lies about me and don't let them meet me.

Gaggi3 Sun 17-Jan-16 11:09:58

BiL refers to himself as Gruncle for great nieces and nephews. Doesn't help with Great- grandmother though.

Gaggi3 Sun 17-Jan-16 11:09:57

BiL refers to himself as Gruncle for great nieces and nephews. Doesn't help with Great- grandmother though.

NanaandGrampy Sun 17-Jan-16 11:09:43

You're right about no matter what YOU think they should call you , they will choose their own name. My husband wanted to be Grampy and with our first grandchild that's what we said but it was too big a word for her initially so she called him 'Pay'.

She's 9 now and if you say to her ,'Can you say Grampy?'. She'll always say,'Of course I can but he'll always be my Pay'.

Cant say fairer than that smile

bmacca Sun 17-Jan-16 11:05:56

I am Granny to my grandchildren but they called my mum Mimi

Anniebach Sun 17-Jan-16 10:31:41

I am granny, with my first grandchild this became gaga. My second calls me granny babe , the third calls me Bro. If I am blessed with a fourth this year I will be either Nain , north wales or Mamgee, South Wales , because he/she will be born in England

Shestheone Sun 17-Jan-16 10:29:30

Beautiful photo - and what a beautiful boy! Love that the cat clearly didn't want to be left out wink

There's no way my 10 month old DGS would have sat nicely like that - he'd be over the back of the chair trying to catch the cat smile

Shinyredcar Sun 17-Jan-16 10:19:46

My DD always called my Grandmother Great Gran.

harrysgran Sun 17-Jan-16 10:16:54

I'm a gran but I don't feel like one I think it conjures up for me an old lady knitting in a chair my mum was known as gran to all the children in the street as well as her own grandchildren I was told I had to be gran because the other grandparent was already nana to her other grandchildren

hamster111 Sun 17-Jan-16 10:01:30

We are called Grandma and Grandad, and so are the other grandparents, but our first names are put before it, so that the children can distinguish us from the others. Such as Grandma Cilla, and they all seem happy with that arrangement.

craftygran Sun 17-Jan-16 09:39:51

My DGC call me Nana, 2 DGG are too young to call me anything yet but the 3 year old calls me Grumpy Gran because that is what my DH taught him. I'm not grumpy honest

Marmark1 Sun 17-Jan-16 09:22:38

Lovely photo Phizz,you should be proud.

hildajenniJ Sat 16-Jan-16 19:51:41

My late mother was always great Grandma when spoken about. To the children she was just Grandma.

phizz Sat 16-Jan-16 19:29:30

Thanks to you all for your comments and good wishes.

My grandson calls me 'Gran' it was just the new addition I wondered about.

We had a 4 generation pic taken at Christmas and I felt so proud of my boys.

I'll try and post it but it's my first time of posting a photograph on here so..fingers crossed.

Wendysue Thu 14-Jan-16 11:32:43

Congratulations phizz! How wonderful to get to be a GGM and well and active enough to enjoy it! How wonderful, too, for the boy to have a living GGM though I realize he doesn't know or appreciate that yet, LOL!

But that's just the thing - it will be a long time before he even gets the meaning of that, won't it? So I wouldn't worry too much about the name. If "Gaga" suits you, however, and the parents are ok with it, then I think Gaga it should be.

Wishing you all many joys with this new baby and your growing family!

Marmark1 Wed 13-Jan-16 09:57:05

I have a friend who calls her self nanny because she insists granny is for old people,ironically she looks years older than me.
Incidentally,what do money people who hire nannies for their children,call the grandparents?

granjura Tue 12-Jan-16 17:04:14

Proud to be granny- I do think there is something a little 'odd' about grandparents who are ashamed of being called granny and granpa. A bit like some of our friends in the 70s who insisted about their children calling them by their first name, and would have a heart attack if they forgot and said 'mum or mummy'- lol.