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How is a mother-in-law addressed?

(253 Posts)
ElderlyPerson Fri 17-Sept-21 09:31:20

How is a mother-in-law addressed?

For example, upon returning from honeymoon is a new daughter-in-law told something like

"Now you are married you can call me Auntie Jane if you like."

And then she is treated the same as a niece, with cards signed

Love from Auntie Jane

So she is not then regarded as "the mother-in-law".

jenpax Sun 19-Sept-21 11:15:40

My MIL asked me to call her mum but I did not feel comfortable with that in any way so I called her Mrs... until she relented and said call me by my first name! My mother asked my DH to use her first name from the start and my SIL do the same with me

Teddy123 Sun 19-Sept-21 11:17:47

First name

4allweknow Sun 19-Sept-21 11:20:56

First name all the way through. When in presence of GC adult children and spouses refer to Grandma and Grandpa.

icanhandthemback Sun 19-Sept-21 11:25:27

I called my MIL by her first name as she asked me to.
I don't think it matters what you call somebody as long as it is respectful and doesn't offend them. I don't subscribe to a theory that calling somebody by their Christian name makes a difference to the way they are treated. Most managerial problems tend to arise from the nature and attitudes of the people interacting with each other. A good manager will have less problems but if they are dealing with someone who doesn't take responsibility, has a chip on their shoulder or is work shy, then there is more likely to be a break down in working relations. It is the same with personal relationships, same faults, different circumstances.

Sheilasue Sun 19-Sept-21 11:30:12

Depends on your relationship. Mine was always flo, lovely lady who raised 8 children. Died in a road accident in her late 50s.

Rumpunch Sun 19-Sept-21 11:31:23

My husband calls my Mum by her Christian name. However since we saw the Flinstones film many years ago he also calls her "the old Fossil" she loves it!

Humbertbear Sun 19-Sept-21 11:33:35

I’m called by my first name. I think I called my MiL grandma once I had children

Thisismyname1953 Sun 19-Sept-21 11:38:58

My MIL had 4DS and 2DD . We were the first to get married and until that point I had called her Mrs Z . Since I was married I was also called Mrs Z so I felt daft calling her that so I started calling her a shortened version of her first name which she accepted with no problem. Her third son copied me and within the next couple of years two more DS got married so her DILs just followed suit .
My 1st DIL called me by my christian name and my 2nd DIL doesn’t call me anything ???. I’m always referred to as ‘your mum’ or ‘your nana’ hmm

barbiann57 Sun 19-Sept-21 11:39:23

When my children were small, and we used to visit MiL they used to watch the steam trains go past in the distance with her. The children always referred to her as nanny choos choos. So she was always referred to by this name. Luckily she was amused by it, and did not mind.

Newgran59 Sun 19-Sept-21 11:45:58

My DDs started calling us marge and parge during their teens. DH hates it, but it's quite useful for in law relationship. We get a combination of first name or nickname. I could never have called my MiL mum, so stuck to first name, used rarely, and granny once applicable. Interesting debate though ?

MayBeMaw Sun 19-Sept-21 11:57:51

Clearly lots of variety - but not, not “Auntie Jean “. grin

Oofy Sun 19-Sept-21 11:59:27

I was remembering Mrs Dale’s Diary too!

Edith81 Sun 19-Sept-21 11:59:42

Nowadays it’s all Christian names.

Janetashbolt Sun 19-Sept-21 12:05:18

First name from the first time I ever met her, a long time before we married

Kartush Sun 19-Sept-21 12:08:59

One son in law calls me Mother-in-law-person or just mother, the other one calls me MaMa. My daughter in law just uses my name

Alis52 Sun 19-Sept-21 12:25:20

Nowadays - and indeed in the 1980s when I first met my MIL - you call adults you have a lot to do with by their first name from the outset. So it’s not really a Q that’s relevant now. It would be very odd indeed to address the parent of your OH by any name but their first name.
But as a general rule if people want to be silly and standoffish I expect them to address me in the same way they expect to be addressed eg if they want to be called Mrs then I expect it to be reciprocated. Same would apply to my MIl or any family member!

Lesley60 Sun 19-Sept-21 12:30:45

I find aunty very odd I’ve never heard a mother in law called that before
Both my son in laws who I love to bits call me by my first name and I wouldn’t have it any other way

ExaltedWombat Sun 19-Sept-21 12:34:20

How should a mother-in-law be addressed? Hammer the crate down firmly and be sure to include the postcode.

Seriously - either first name or Mrs. X. 'Auntie' seems bizarre.

(Is this an Asian thing? All mature female acquaintances are 'Auntie', all female contemporaries are 'Sister'. Rather nice.)

coastalgran Sun 19-Sept-21 12:34:32

I get my first name but I always call my DIL's mother Mrs Callan, she is a bit scary.

Froglady Sun 19-Sept-21 12:43:23

My Mum was always known as Min from The Goons - my brother-in-law started it as he was a fan and the grandchildren carried it on. Mum loved the name.

jaylucy Sun 19-Sept-21 13:04:57

I used to call my MiL "Mum" - she used to sign herself on gifts as that.
After her son and I divorced, I called her by her first name.
I have a SiL that always called my mum by Mrs ..... that always upset my mum as we had known her for 30+ years !

Angmar Sun 19-Sept-21 13:13:11

I am now 68 but when I married at 18 it was expected of me to call my Mother-in-law Mum. I hated doing that as she was not my Mum so only called her Mum if I had too! My husband rarely used it for my Mum either. Now my daughter-in-law calls us both by our first names and so it should be.

Annlilyoliver Sun 19-Sept-21 13:24:40

Yes but I’ve just signed an anniversary card to son and wife. Love from Mum. and it doesn’t feel right as I’m not her Mum. So should I have signed it Mum and Ann ? She calls me Ann of course Cannot be separate cards like Xmas !

greenlady102 Sun 19-Sept-21 13:27:50

I called my lovely Mil by her first name and that was more than 40 years ago.

Dee1012 Sun 19-Sept-21 13:37:38

I always find threads like this really interesting!
In my family, the terms Aunt/Uncle weren't used. It was first names only
Likewise when a neighbour told me to call her Aunt , my Dad told me to call her Mrs because 'she's not related to us'.