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Grandparenting

What should Great Grandparents be called?

(90 Posts)
millie58 Wed 13-May-20 07:11:21

When my children were young, my husband's parents referred to my husband's Nan as Great Nan when in discussion with my children and they were known as Nan & Grandad.
Now that I am a Grandparent myself, they refer to themselves as Nan & Grandad as well. I have a bad relationship with them and am unsure whether this is just clouding my thought on this matter or whether this is quite normal? Please help!

Grannybadger Wed 13-May-20 10:37:33

For my gc I am Mam-mor & my dh is Bandan, this is how the eldest gc used to say Grandma & Grandad and the nick names have stuck. My mil is Nanny & my late parents were Papa & Nan-nan.

Armorel Wed 13-May-20 10:41:07

I am 'G-gran' to my great-grandchildren!

millie58 Wed 13-May-20 10:52:37

Thank you all for your replies. It is very hurtful that they are using the same names as what my husband and I are called. Like many of you, I had expected alternative name's for them regardless of what that may have been. Sadly it doesn't stop at the name, they are very manipulative and always have been, it is just another occasion to keep them rent free in my head. Thanks again

Suspiros Wed 13-May-20 10:54:12

When her first great-grandchild was born my mother, who is known as Granny to her grandchildren, announced that she wished to be known as Grannan to the next generation so that is what they have always called her.

Chicklette Wed 13-May-20 10:57:52

My Mum didn’t want to be called Great Nan as it’d make her sound old! She was quite difficult about it (as with so many things...) Eventually she settled on GNan. She liked it because it sounded a bit like a rapper and a bit cool! And I like it, so I think if I ever become one I shall be GNan. The grandchildren all call her GNan when she’s talked about so they’re used to the name.

grannie7 Wed 13-May-20 10:59:26

I am grannie and my husband Gramps to our GC when our only GGC appeared 2 years ago there was. a lot of discussion as to what the grandparents were going to be called.
one grand father was so furious that his daughter had made him a gp he wasn’t called anything.
Time being a great healer and the rest of us taking no notice of his ranting he is now Granddad.
my DH is still gramps to all the children our little one has just copied her daddy.
I am gigi was to be gg but our little smarty pants has a rocking horse and informed everyone that I wasn’t a horse I was her Gigi she is such a sweetheart.
She 2 granddads.2 grandmothers 3 GGrandmothers 2 GGfathers,everyone has a different name but she knows who’s who and that to me is all that matters.
We all get along well and try very hard not to spoil her but it’s very difficult lol

mariella22 Wed 13-May-20 11:06:05

My children called their grandparents by their name eg
Granny Sue , Granda Bill, Granny Margaret
They then become Great granny Sue etc if still alive . It is personal and that s why they liked it .

Susieq72 Wed 13-May-20 11:07:38

I’m called GG as the kids don’t know what great grandma means

mariella22 Wed 13-May-20 11:07:50

Also the first grandchild set the pattern , when he started to speak , not the adults !

Bijou Wed 13-May-20 11:08:26

I am Grandma and Great Grandma. My mother was Nana. Unfortunately she never lived long enough to have great grandchildren. According to the Oxford dictionary nana is a silly person, a fool. Nanny - a child’s nurse, an unduly over protective person. .

missdeke Wed 13-May-20 11:08:53

My grandchildren all called my mum nan, the same as me, except one grandchild called my mum chair nanny (she was in her late 90s and died last month 4 weeks short of her 100th birthday). I am also known as Bus nanny as I am the only person to have taken him on a bus.

I think we should allow children to make their own mind up when choosing what to call us.

Froglady Wed 13-May-20 11:09:34

We had a great grandmother who was my mother's granny and I think we called her Great Granny but my father's mother was referred to as 'Just Granny' and any cards were always addressed to Just Granny. There was never any mixup. Nowadays there may be several sets of grandparents partly because of people living longer, but also due to people divorcing and remarrying.

Froglady Wed 13-May-20 11:11:29

Just recalled that my mum was known to her grandchildren as 'Min' from The Goons as her son-in-law is a great Goons fan. Min was a perfect name for her.

tonyb Wed 13-May-20 11:14:53

Lucky!

trisher Wed 13-May-20 11:19:23

My mum was always Nanna to her GCs and GGCs. It saved lots of bother. I became Granny so there was no conflict. It was still a problem at Christmas when anything was addressed to "Mum or Mummy" we had to ask "Who's it from?" before we could work out whose it was!

jaylucy Wed 13-May-20 11:24:04

My dad was Peepa to his GGD - mainly because she couldn't say Pappy - that her mother called him!
I think that over time , your GGC will call you what they want to call you - I had one aunt that was called "Cuckoo" by one set of GGC that was what she used to call out to them whenever she saw them and another was called Blessim - one of her favourite sayings!
Oh, and I have a friend that insists his GC call him by his christian name as he reckons that he's too young to be Grandad at 60!

Craftycat Wed 13-May-20 11:24:37

I think if you are lucky enough to be a great grandparent you should be able to choose your name.
If I ever get that far I'm sure I will be Granny GaGa.

Booklover1948 Wed 13-May-20 11:27:07

My Grandchildren call my mum Grandma Grandma their idea Mum loves it she says that she is so good they named her twice as in the song New York New York.

Daddima Wed 13-May-20 11:37:27

Both our children’s grans were called Gran, until one day I said we were going to Gran’s, and son asked if it was ‘ the Annie Gran or the Cathy Gran’, so they were known as that from then on! I’m also ‘Name ‘ Gran, so maybe a great gran’s title would follow that formula.
Our Welsh grandchildren also have Nans and Bampi, and their great gran was Nana ‘village name’.

Jaylm Wed 13-May-20 11:44:08

With second marriages and therefore multiple grandparents let alone great grandparent, I think using title plus first name is a good solution. I'm know as Grandma Jane and my mum was Grandma Helen to all generations of her grandchildren.

Oopsminty Wed 13-May-20 11:47:34

My eldest called my Grandparents Nonna and Pompa

Absolutely no idea how we got to these names

Edithb Wed 13-May-20 11:56:13

My father-in-law asked to be called Gramps when he became a great grandfather.

icanhandthemback Wed 13-May-20 12:00:39

Our grandchildren all call their Great Grandparents by their title followed by their name to differentiate if there is more than one Gran in the room. So I am Nanny X and my mother is Nanny Y. It works for us.

PamelaJ1 Wed 13-May-20 12:06:46

We are all just granny. I’m grannyP my mum is grannyB., my GGM was granny T.

GrammaH Wed 13-May-20 12:38:14

We're Gramma & Graffa, my DDILs parents are grandma & granddad . My dad is Grandpa & DDIL's gran is Grandma N** as distinct from Grandma B****, my own dear mum who sadly died last year. All seems clear to our grandsons!