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Grandparenting

Nana or granny?

(179 Posts)
Sophiasnana Mon 15-Apr-19 23:51:42

I have just read an article in Good Housekeeping magazine about a woman who has just become a grandmother for the first time and is horrified at the thought of being called granny, grandma, nana or any other such name. She wants to be known as ‘wow’. I am utterly at a loss to understand her reasoning! For me, the best thing in the world is to hear my beloved grandchildren, aged 9,8,6 and 3, call me nana! What does everyone else think?

harrysgran Tue 16-Apr-19 10:40:16

Sad that she is horrified at the thought I love to hear my GC call out Gran to me my own mam was also Gran and I'm proud to carry it on it sounds like she is afraid of growing older.There are many ladies who would love to be a grandparent and through different circumstances are not given the pleasure it brings

blossom76 Tue 16-Apr-19 10:42:38

to be called "WOW" is most peculiar. Maybe there is a reason in her family to be called this. When you think how many times that will be said over the years it makes me wonder why? I am a Grandma (used as a tradition in my family). We have all used "WOW" to express our feelings ........but NOT in place of NAN,NANNY,GRAN,GRANDMA etc

Candelle Tue 16-Apr-19 10:43:44

My own Grandma was quite severe so I wasn't keen on that name. My other grandmother was known as Nana but I didn't like that either. What to do?

A dear friend came up with 'Grammy' and Grampsy' and that's what we are.

Now some of the grandchildren are in their teens, they are not keen calling us 'our' names so have shortened it to 'GM and GP' which also suits us fine.

Every family should find their own way - and they will!

sylviann Tue 16-Apr-19 10:48:14

I'm just plain most of the time I think Wow sounds egotistical

Elegran Tue 16-Apr-19 10:48:56

She will have some work living up to the name "Wow!" if she wants them to geuninely exclaim that whenever they see her. And will she be jealous if they say it when they see anyone or anything else that astounds them?

NotSpaghetti Tue 16-Apr-19 10:49:12

janeainsworth - not all of us have a problem with being old and wrinkly! Like Teatime’s “other half” my husband and I just don’t go on titles. Grandchildren are JUST as excited to see you whatever your name and as we both have names we use those.
As I posted somewhere else, I don’t call my husband “husband” or “spouse” and I don’t call my children “son” or “daughter” so I have no need to make a new name for me when I already have one.
This doesn’t stop grandchildren knowing I’m their grandmother and I’m their mother’s/father’s mother.

arosebyanyothername Tue 16-Apr-19 10:50:36

I'm a Nanny and proud. DH was lots of things before they could pronounce Grandad!
Each to their own.
My sister insisted on Grandma which is fair enough

maryhoffman37 Tue 16-Apr-19 10:50:38

I don't like "Nana". I am Nonna (Italian) to my five GC.

Elegran Tue 16-Apr-19 10:50:44

It seems her emphasis is on her own imagined impact on them, not on what they will mean to her.

GeorgieKay Tue 16-Apr-19 10:51:22

Very happy to be Nanny and love being a grandmother.

Greta Tue 16-Apr-19 10:52:51

Swedish children call their Grandmother 'Mormor' or 'Farmor' depending on if she is their maternal or paternal grandmother. Mormor means mother's mother. A paternal grandmother is 'Farmor' (father's mother.)
So far I am only Mormor but with a bit of luck I may also one day be Farmor!

Jacinta55 Tue 16-Apr-19 10:53:10

Happy to be called Grandma.

Nandalot Tue 16-Apr-19 10:53:28

I am Nan or Nanny. Gran seems old to me only because, before my sister and family emigrated to Australia, they stayed with us temporarily. We were a four generation house. My mum was Nan to my sister’s children and my Gran was Gran to everybody.
Also I noticed DGC first sounds were nana so that way I was the first name they learnt to say!

HurdyGurdy Tue 16-Apr-19 10:59:43

I never wanted any of the traditional grandmother names. Nana is the dog in Peter Pan, nanny is a goat, and granny sounds older than the hills!

But I had to be called something, and so I ended up being nana. I don't really like it, but I've got used to it.

My husband is Guggle. When Titch was just starting to speak, grandad was beyond her, and so Guggle was born.

My mother absolutely refused to be any of the above names, but loved Grandy, which she got from the book A Woman of Substance.

Sherry1 Tue 16-Apr-19 11:01:39

I didn't want to be Granny or Grandma so I opted for Geema forgetting it's quite hard for little ones to say the Gee bit... I'm now Meema and am happy with that. smile

evianers Tue 16-Apr-19 11:01:46

The other grannies are the normal Granddad and Grandma. But because we live in France [and to differentiate] we are Grandmère and Grandpère which works admirably.

LadyJus Tue 16-Apr-19 11:02:03

I'm Nanny, sometimes Nan and sometimes Nana - love it!
My husband is called Grumps - a play on gramps but for a more miserable person! wink
Their Great grandmothers are called Grandma and Gaga respectively.

paddyann Tue 16-Apr-19 11:03:47

Daftgranny to the eldest three ,their other granny is "normal" granny ,she wasn't thrilled they thought she was "normal" The other one just calls me gran

mammabear Tue 16-Apr-19 11:04:00

I am known as Gran ,or Silly Gran depending on what mischief I have been up to. Wouldnt have it any other way.

grannygranby Tue 16-Apr-19 11:04:15

I decided against all others to reclaim ‘granny’ it was my mum and MIL and grandmother who had veered away to nan and Nana with First-name suffix. Granny is much more radical and takes their breath away

nettyandmasey Tue 16-Apr-19 11:06:25

Im nanny, and DD in-laws are Grandma and Granddad. We both chose. My other DD in laws are nana and granddad. Wouldn’t be called anything else.

knspol Tue 16-Apr-19 11:08:16

When DIL asked me what I wanted to be called I told her GD could call me anything she liked I was just so thrilled at the prospect.

keffie Tue 16-Apr-19 11:09:32

Same as me! Its Granna for me too. I wanted something different than the usual

sue01 Tue 16-Apr-19 11:09:41

We are called Grandma and Granddad.... but when they became Great Grandparents, my Father wanted to be called by his first name , Ken... and my Mother was called Silver as the children couldn't pronounce Sylvia. Worked for us !!

fitwell Tue 16-Apr-19 11:13:06

Im a nana , mainly because of my own mother and grandmother, OH Is
known as ga ga, he’s not, yet, no idea where it came from