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Grandparenting

Names for Grandma

(38 Posts)
Kittye Wed 05-Oct-16 17:13:10

We are Nanna and Grandad. Would hate to be Granny or Grandma ... sounds like I'd be wearing a shawl and a grey bun ?

Greyduster Wed 05-Oct-16 17:12:45

Like tanith I am 'nanny' to my only grandchild (I was only thinking today that as he is getting a bit older now we may shorten it to 'nan'). His other grandmother was 'nannan', which is what my mother's eleven other grandchildren called her. It seems to be a Yorkshire thing. Unfortunately, my children saw their grandparents so seldom that I can't really remember what DS called them. DD was too young to call them anything, and then they were gone. I hate 'grandma', or as my friend insists on saying when she is quoting her GC, 'gwandma' ?.

Swanny Wed 05-Oct-16 16:53:41

My mother was insistent on being Grandma when my son was born but on the paternal side there was MIL and step-MIL who both wanted to be known as Nana. We had to refer to each as Nana and Grandad (surname).

When my DGS was born I was looking for something different altogether. However my son said he wanted me to be Grandma, as the word just conjured up good memories for him. So that's what I am and I can't imagine anything else now. DIL's mother lives in Europe and has a traditional name from her homeland.

marmar01 Wed 05-Oct-16 16:34:41

My mum was BizBiz,( her name was LIz) my name is Marmar and my friend is called WaWa. so i think the children pick you name. I am glad i am not a Nana (sorry) Oh and my Dad is Papa, Think my DH is Grumps smile

tanith Wed 05-Oct-16 16:19:19

I've always been Nanny to my grandchildren when they were small but now they are grown they have started calling me Grandma for some reason.. I don't care what they call me as long as they do grin

Synonymous Wed 05-Oct-16 16:15:31

My paternal GPs were known as Grandma and Granddad and the maternals were Granny and Grandpa. Our DGC have two sets of GPs and one set of GGPs so are known variously as "Farmer Granny and Grandpa", name of "town Granny and Grandpa" and name of "country Granny and Granddad". They all know who and where we are and it happened naturally.
Granted there is a surfeit of 'grannies' but we have always had 'Grannys' in my own family and I had no wish to be Nana as that was my lovely MIL and I could never fill her slippers!

nanaK54 Wed 05-Oct-16 16:03:21

Love being called nana. Was my choice when my DGS was born

Alima Wed 05-Oct-16 16:03:08

I am Nana too, cannot think of anything I'd like more. (If the other GM was going to be Nanna too I'd have opted for Nana Mags but no need as she loves being Grandma).

kittylester Wed 05-Oct-16 16:01:10

I really didnt fancy being called 'Nana' although I loved my Nan very much. Luckily the other grandmother bagged it. DD wanted her children to have a 'grandpa' as she adored hers, so we opted for grandma and grandpa which have become 'ma' and 'pa' which we love and is what all six dgc call us.

NanaandGrampy Wed 05-Oct-16 15:56:45

I'm obviously a Nana and love it. My daughters called my mum Nana and I called her mum Nana ....must be tradition .

My Grandaughter has always called Grampy 'Pay' and when asked now at the age of 9 if she can say Grampy she will fix you with a look and say' of course I can Nana but he'll always be my Pay!' .

obieone Wed 05-Oct-16 15:55:13

Lucky you.
I have sort of got the problem in reverse. One to be granny is going to be called Nana x and is quite happy with that.
I wanted to be called granny, but granny y[my christian name] for some reason sounds horrid, and other people are also commenting that it does!

I dont fancy being called grandma, and myself and others are trying to come up with other options, but havent managed it yet!

Just had a thought. I suppose I could be called granny [first initial of my name]. Doesnt sound too bad hmm

Ana Wed 05-Oct-16 15:49:56

I love being called 'Nana'. Grandma and Granny just sound old to me - probably because my own grandmothers seemed ancient when I was a child!

Yorkshiregel Wed 05-Oct-16 15:47:17

I hated my children having to call their paternal Grandmother 'Nana'. It did not seem respectful to me but that is what she wanted so I let it ride. Now that my children have had their children I found myself in the position of being called 'Nanna' myself! As my oldest grandchild had always called me 'Grandma' before the others came along that is what I wanted to be called. I really had to put my foot down and now we have come to a compromise, my dil mother is called 'Grandma Janet' and I am 'Grandma Mary'. They wanted to call dil's mother 'Dotty' so I think she put her foot down too. Peace has been restored.