What to call them....

azjh77

I was having this discussion with a friend the other day. She is due to become a 'nan' and as she is only 40, though gran made her sound 'old'

What is the preferable name for grandparents nowadays? Mine were always 'Nan & Grandad' , but my husband's are called 'Granda' & 'Charlie' (his name is actually Robert!) I wanted my kids to call my step-dad 'Bampy' as it would have driven my Mum made (I'm cruel I know!) but he's a 'Grandad' too.

Also, with all these young grandparents, how do you distinguish between all the generations?. For example, my children have my mum & stepdad, my dad, my DH's parents. My nan & grandad, and both sets of my husbands grandparents, we also have a 'Granny Mac' who is my Step dad's mum....phew. We call all the nan's by first names ie:- nanny pat, nanny shirley, and the great grand parents by surname, although mine gets called nanny Gloucester.

Do you ask a parent what they want to be called? Mine was always going to be Nan, but if she had expressed a desire to be called Granma, I'm sure we would have done it.

(And sorry about my spelling, it is very late, I'm normally tucked up in bed by now...)

Contains_Mild_Peril

I always called my grandparents Grandma and Granda, adding their surnames if I wanted to distinguish between them. My son calls my parents Grandma and Granda, and my husband's parents were Nana and Papa, as was customary in their family. His 2 surviving great-grandfathers are Great-Granda and Papa Tam. His step-grandfather is known simply by his first name.

maytaurus

I became a GRAN @39yrs :cool:
( I'M BIG GRAN...
cos I'm much taller than my mum
... who is ...LITTLE GRAN...OR LITTLE GRANNIE )
we actually all discussed the TITLES WE'D LIKE L-O-L :rotfl:
my daughter-in-laws mum is NANNY HEATHER..!
and her mum is...GRANNIE IN WALES
personally I didn't mind what I was called...
(as long as it wasn't nasty l-o-l)
but my mum was always adamant she didn't want to be called nan...
we also have similar names for granddads
FUNNIEST THING OF ALL THOUGH...
IS THAT MY GRANDSON CALLS HIS MUM ........BY HER FIRST NAME !!
SHE HAS ALWAYS INSISTED,
THAT IT WAS BECAUSE HE WAS CALLING HER THE SAME NAME, AS HE HEARD MY SON CALLING HER... :rotfl:
Anyway congratulations to your friend
What's in a name anyway !!!!!!!!!!?
just hope all goes well....
and enjoy you grandchild.....
they don't stay little for long...
so make the most of it !!!!!!!
:beer: :j :beer: :cool: :grin: :heartsmil :grouphug: :drool: :happyhear :heart: :beer:

margaretclare

I hate the term 'nan' for a grandmother. I grew up with the term 'Granny' or 'Grandma'.

I never heard the term 'nan' until my late MIL insisted on calling herself that, with 'nanny' and 'nanna' in between.

'Nanny' to me implies a children's nurse.

I call myself 'Grannie' or 'Gran'.

Margaret

fiendishly

I have always disliked the name 'Nan' or 'Nanna' I have 'Gran', or 'Grandma' and my mum is 'Granny'

seven-day-weekend

I am not a Grandmother yet, but I think I would just like to be called by my first name. If a title was insisted upon, then Gran or Grandma.

Husband says he would like to be called Granddad.

[Deleted User]

we`ve chosen, ready for the big day in 3 months

grandma and grandad

azjh77

Is 'Nan' a newish or regional thing? All of my friends call their nan's..well nan, but my step-dad is from 'up north' and all his were grannies.

Errata

I read recently that the working classes call grandmothers Nan, Nanny or Nana and middle and upper classes call them Grandma or Granny. Just another piece of useless information to keep the debate going! And I'm not bovvered!

glenstan

I am Nanna to our little man, think this is a regional thing as a few miles further north, in the next county I would be known as Grandma. I am not bothered what our grandson calls me when he gets older, as long as he knows I love and care about him, and am always there to listen.

babyblooz

When I was little I called my mum's mum 'Mammam' 'cause she was my mam's mam! It made sense when I was little.
When I got to school I was embarrassed when I realised that no one else used that term, and thought I had better start calling her Grandma!

She died while I was still a child but I still think about 'my little mammam', (god bless)