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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?

Overthehills Tue 16-Apr-19 22:11:58

My DD’s ex-MiL asked me what I wanted to be called when DGD was born and I said I was delighted to be a granny so would go with that. She declared that she was too young to be a granny so would be Nannie. Ironically DGD had other ideas about my name and has always called something not remotely connected with grandparent hood!!

Rielly62 Tue 16-Apr-19 23:39:10

We live in Wales so I am Naini and DH is Taida ( pronounced Nine ee and Tide a ) The Welsh for Nan and Grandad.
My Mum and Dad are Nana and Grandy.
I have heard of Nana's, Grandad's, Grandpa's, Ganga's, Pop's, Poppa's, Gar's, Ninny's and many more.
I don't think it should matter to anybody else what you are called, as long as you are happy with it.

NannyC1 Tue 16-Apr-19 23:50:06

My 2 year old DGD calls me Nanna and sometimes for some reason known only to herself Pabi !! I answer to it because otherwise she says it until I do.?

Omaju Wed 17-Apr-19 00:56:17

My husband is Opa and I am Oma. We chose these because my mum is Grandma to all the grandchildren and great grandchildren, SIL has a Grandma, Grand-dad and a Nan and his mum wanted to be Nanny, his dad chose Pops. My MIL is Nanny and my sister is Nanny and I felt there was too many in the family, I chose Oma for myself and my husband didn't mind being called Grand-dad or Opa, so Opa it was as it fits with Oma.

GrammaH Wed 17-Apr-19 03:18:25

We answer to Gramma & Graffa - DH decided on the latter, no.idea where it came from, & Gramma seemed to fit with it nicely. His mother was known as Oma to our children plus most other people who knew her. She was neither Dutch nor German but just tool a fancy to the appellation!

sluttygran Wed 17-Apr-19 09:12:23

I’m known as Nanny - thought I would be Granny, but the little ones made their own choice and ‘Nanny’ it was.
When DGD was admitted to hospital as an emergency, I went along to support DD and SIL, and the very posh consultant assumed that I was the professional nanny employed by my own daughter!
Fortunately DGD made a rapid recovery, and feeling more cheerful, we were tempted to go along with his mistake for a giggle.
I tried my best to infer that I was one of the Norland type of superior, royal nannies! grin

Magrithea Wed 17-Apr-19 09:58:54

I've become Mammar and DH Daddad. My Mum wasn't sure what she wanted to be called but settled on GG (Great Grandma!) A friend is called Glam ma!

Wishes Wed 17-Apr-19 10:19:16

I am Nanny; I suggested to my GS recently that now he is into double figures, he might like to shorten it to Nan. He was horrified!
grin Greyduster, my 3yr old GD drops into saying Nan sometimes, it's sounds so odd from someone so young.

My hurdle was DH. He battled against me being called Nanna or Nanny because our children always used granma for our parents.

If/when I become a GG I wish to be called Granna.

GrannyBeek Wed 17-Apr-19 11:01:37

I’m Granny and love it. Other GM was already Grandma so no opposition. My DH wants to be Grandfather, we do try but it’s not going to stick! DH’s two sons from previous marriage have children and Granny/Nanny/Grandma were already taken. We settled on Mutti - my daughter has called me this ever since she started to learn German. We all think it’s highly suitable for a stepGM. However, when they start to talk they can call me what they like.

NanaPlenty Wed 17-Apr-19 15:41:06

I love being a man, nana or whatever the kids choose. Mostly we are nanny and grandpa Badger (my hubbys nickname) and my ex and his partner are nanny and grandpa seaside (no clues needed - they live at the seaside. Happy days

SleepyGM Wed 17-Apr-19 18:12:19

Hello Group new to forum.
I couldn’t wait to have grandkids they cane a little earlier then I thought
I retired early thought I would get a few year exploring things I wanted to venture into. Instead found out a few months after retiring that we were going to be grandparents still excited
Until they asked if I could watch and infant three days a week.
I have four grandkids at this point and helping with 3 of them and trying to make time for our Fourth one.
Exhausted from watching grandkids
I watch my grandson who is a toddler 3days a week. My granddaughter Tuesday overnight through Wednesday morning then I watch my grandson Wednesday all day. I pickup my other grandson every other Friday from school while watching my 2year old grandson. Then every other Thursday I try to go see my fourth granddaughter. I thought retiring early at 58 was going to be pleasurable
I worked full time all my life 50 plus hour a week and never felt so exhausted and anxious. I love them dearly but I feel like I have lost myself.
Just need to vent since my sister and friends refuse to watch there grandkids except on occasion.

nanny35 Wed 17-Apr-19 18:15:44

My GrandChildren call me NaN my GreatGrandChildren the older ones call me NannyDogs and the little one calls me GranGran

mtp123 Wed 17-Apr-19 19:47:43

I became a great grandmother two years ago and as her Mum already called me Grandma decided to avoid confusion and asked for her to call me Gee Gee. Problem solved.

Sophiasnana Thu 18-Apr-19 13:14:49

SleepyGM, thats sounds like a lot of work. I love my four grandchildren more than anything in this world, but wouldnt want to spend as much time as that every week watching them. When we retired we made it clear that we would love to watch the gc, but it would mainly be when we wanted to, or to help out occasionally.

blondenana Thu 18-Apr-19 13:28:09

Nanna, when they were young, now shortened to Nan, would hate to be called grandma,it sounds so old and i imagine a little old lady with a walking stick,
I was a nanna at 38 and the thought of being called grandma horrified me
Grandmas these days are so much younger than at one time and i think nanna is nice, not nanny either as it sounds more like a nanny/ nurse type of person

callgirl1 Thu 18-Apr-19 23:25:15

I`m Grandma, my husband was Grandad, our choice. The other grandmothers in all the families are Nan or Nanny, but the grandfathers have all been Grandad.

crazyH Thu 18-Apr-19 23:32:48

I am Nan/Nanna/Nanny.......but what really irks me, is that my ex husband's wife is also called Nana. I have learned to accept it now.

Starlady Sat 20-Apr-19 08:44:34

I just love being a gm, so the name was never a big deal to me. Whatever the kids ended up calling me was fine. But, imo, a gm should have the right to be called whatever she prefers, unless the parents have a serious problem with it. Still "Wow" seems very offbeat and self-absorbed, like she wants everyone to constantly be saying how great she is. If I were the parents, I might tell her that's "too odd," and I don't want my child to sound like an "oddball." I would suggest she pick something else and maybe provide her with a list of gm names from the Internet. There are several new ones Iv seen ("Mimi," "Lovey," etc.) I'm sure she could find something avant-guarde or "younger" sounding without being weird.

Mosie Sat 04-May-19 22:23:05

What’s wrong with your name? I’m called Mo or Moey if they are feeling warm towards me. My husband is the same, he is known by his first name. Our children always called us by our first names most of the time. It’s the relationship that matters after all.

MaudLillian Sat 04-May-19 22:57:21

I am Grandma, and I love it. My lovely little granddaughter is just 2 and I just adore her. I called both my grandmothers 'nanny' and my boys called my mum nanny and their father's mum, nanna. I chose 'grandma' and hearing it said in my little darling's voice makes my day.

MawBroonsback Sat 04-May-19 23:08:47

Personal choice
I am Granny to one family of grandchildren and Janny to my Walthamstow grandson (his early pronunciation of granny) The youngest GDS is only 6 weeks so we shall wait and see what he comes up with.
I don’t personally like Nanny as one family of DGC had a nanny but if anybody wants to be called Nanny /nana/ granny/ gaga/ grandma/gally that is up to them

Donovan Sun 05-May-19 12:27:34

My wife is happy with Nanny and I’m happy with Grandad.
My good looking sister aged nearly 60, although she’d rather be 30, prefers Grammy!

Itsnotme Sun 12-May-19 09:55:55

Just to revive this thread a bit.. I’m not a grandparent yet but my MIL insisted and taught her grandchildren to call her Gan. And she succeeded. At the time I thought it was a selfish thing to do. My exh called his grandmother Garg which he invented himself as a toddler. I have to admit, I like both names as it’s different.

JennieGran Sun 08-Mar-20 08:38:52

My daughter told me firmly that using Grandma or Nana made her feel old, so I'm known by my christian name! We're all lucky to have grandchildren, so what I'm called didn't seem important.

GagaJo Sun 08-Mar-20 09:24:29

I called my grandmothers Granny, but my daughter called my mum nanny. I like what I was familiar with and wanted to be granny. But DGS had other ideas and has been calling me Gaga for over a year now (he's nearly 2). I love it because he found it himself and it melts my heart when he bellows it at me. Ex husbands wife is nanny and I'm delighted that he has her too. She's lovely with him.