Nanny, Granny or Grandma???

Michelle - posted on 03/03/2010

My kids were my parents later grandkids, by then they were called Mammy and Pappy by the older grandkids, so that's what my kids called them. I say grin and bear it.

Alison - posted on 03/02/2010

let her call her whatever she wants...she probably will anyways!! my daughter has a whole slew of grandparents and everyone gets called something different. we've got grandma (my mom) and papa (my dad), "my other grandma" (her dad's mom....she rarely sees her, we are divorced), granny shelley (my fiancee's mom) and papa eric (fiancee's stepdad), granny laurie (finacee's stepmom) and papa mike (finacee's dad). she calls them all those things b/c thats what she WANTS to call them. dont sweat the small stuff!!!

Debbie - posted on 03/02/2010

I am called Nana and my hubby is called G-Pa. I love it, but if my daughter in law had a problem with I, I would let my granddaughter call me whatever she wants. I really think your husband should step up and tell his mom that he hoped his children would call her grandma. I would hope my son would be honest with me, especially since that is how I raised him. The wife comes before his mom, that is how it should always be.

Barbara - posted on 02/23/2010

I had the same situation in reverse. I always thought I'd be called "Grandma", but ended up being called "Granny" (shades of the Beverly Hillbillies!) by all 7 grandchildren. I found out that it was the relationship that mattered, not the name. And, it's the relationship between you & your MIL and between your children & their grandmother that matters. Pray about it...pray for wisdom and love and understanding...then, if you've got a good relationship with your MIL, talk with her about it. Just don't let a label get in the way of the relationships the Lord would want you to have.

Jaime - posted on 02/23/2010

how about........mimi

Amy - posted on 02/21/2010

I called my Grandparents, Grandmom and Grandpop on my Dad's side. My Moms parents Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop. My son Abe calls my parents Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop and Franks parents Grandmom Brown and Grandpop Brown. Frank taught him that. My Grand father Abe calls Grandpop Duke. Nor I or my husband likes it but that is ok. Grandpop did not want to be called Great Grandpop and that is ok. Me I want to be called Mom-Mom when I am a Grandparent but if they call me Grandmom that is ok too. I would not want them to call me Amy or even Grandmom Amy No way. I do not want to be called by my fist name. I do not like when kids in the naghborhood call me Amy to me I am Mrs. Brown not Miss Amy or Amy. As long as my Grandkids have respect then I am ok. I agree with everyone else and not make it a big deal.

Lisa - posted on 02/21/2010

A post from the North - Granny has invaded the North. When I was pregant with my son 9 years ago everyone asked my mother what he would call her and when she said granny people were horrified. Now everywhere you go you hear a child say Granny and every woman (in that age range turns around) My kids call my mom Granny and my sister's children follow suit. Everyone calls my grandmother Bopchi but if anyone tried to call her Granny they would get a beat down old school style :) I agree with the other moms call whoever whatever you are comfortable with and your kids will most likely follow your lead. I know we are not suppose to sweat the small stuff but gosh it's hard sometimes. God Bless you.

Veronica - posted on 02/21/2010

U can grin and bear it or u can say something about it, if u dont speak up about a situation than that means u for it, but i would pray first and ask God to make the way smooth for you.

Michelle - posted on 02/21/2010

My older son used to call grandparents memom and poppy; now when he can say grandma and grandpa he chooses which he wants to use and when. Our baby just the other day looked at grandma and said 'ga ma', so who knows which he will really pick up. I say let your daughter decide what she wants to call grandparents.

Cynthia - posted on 02/21/2010

I have to agree with most of the above - your child will probably end up picking a name that no one thought of. My son (first grandchild for my parents) started by calling both my mom and my dad Papa. Eventually, my dad became Grandpa, but my mom has remained Papa. She thought it was strange at first. My younger son picked it up from his older brother, and now she wouldn't be called anything else. She calls herself Papa to my brother's kids as well, with my brother's endorsement, and they won't have any "grandmas," as their other grandmother wants to be called "Abuela." We shall see what they end up with, as they're only a year old.

Maggie - posted on 02/20/2010

Let "Nanny" be called what she wants to! Seems to me the first grandchild gets to choose anyways then the rest of the kids follow along. I know it is going to "irk" you but I say grin and bear it and DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF!
PS My MIL demanded she be called Granny....I hated it at first....but no one asked me! Doesn't bother me anymore! I call her that now too!

Bethan - posted on 02/20/2010

I let both sets of grandparents choose what they wanted be and my daughter has a Nanny & Granfer and a Granna & Bampi.

Teresa - posted on 02/20/2010

My ex's grandma was Nanny to him, his brother, and all his cousins.



My kids have a Grandpa, Grandma, Grammy, Granny Pam, and Pap Pap.

Victoria - posted on 02/20/2010

My kids call my Mum & Dad, Nanny & Granddad, I called my mums parents Nan & Granddad & her Nanny Great Nanny or Nana. I called my Dads parents Grandma & Grandpa because they were very stuffy and snobbish and said a nanny is hired help, so we we're very formal with them, although they've mellowed much over the years, when I was a kid they weren't very affectionate, but we we're very close with my mum's family. My kids call my hubby's mother Grammy. My husbands mother already had grandchildren so mine just followed suit, with my parents we let them pick what the kids would call them as it's them that have to respond to it, they picked Nanny and Granddad. Nanny and Nana actually means grandmother or mothers mother in a couple of other languages I forget which ones.

Roni - posted on 02/20/2010

For my hubby and I, we let our 5 grandkids call us ampa and mima, gamma, even mama..they are all under 7 years old and he calls us grandma and grandpa. Its an honor that we have earned. I would never want my grandchild to call me by 1st name, as a mother would never want a child of hers to call her by her 1st name.
I think some grandparents aren't ready to be grandparents and they don't want to feel old by being called grandparents.

Jenn - posted on 02/20/2010

I think maybe your making a mountain out of a mole hill. My daughter calls my mother grandma, but she is also called raima, gamma,. My grandmother in PA, i grew up calling her Nanny, thats just what she was called and my daughter calls her nanny too. Cloe's other grandma she call's Yaya which actually means grandma in another language lol. Just one day one of the grand kids called her Yaya and it was just a way to distinguish from both grandmothers (to the kids). It really makes no difference to the children and its just out of love. You might hate it but its what your MIL would like to be called. Like I am sure you would prefer to be called Mommy rather than mother by a young child. So my advice would be to just let it go.. is it really such a horrible thing?

Amber - posted on 02/19/2010

i got pregnant young (17) and so my mom was very young for a grandma (37). she wasnt a grandma or a nana but she wasnt the mommy so we call her nani (nah-nee) come to find out later in another language it means mothers mother. it was like it was God ordained for her to be nani :) now all the grandkids call her that.

Rabecca - posted on 02/19/2010

okay this may sound terrible but I hate nanny seriously your not a nanny your a grandparent and nannies are a employee of a family not a family member . I have a friend whos kids call her mom nanu what is that I feel lik eits a just a older woman not wanting to admit shes old enough to have these gret grandkids or to be reminded of it when they talk to her I knwo thats not very nice and i am judgeing but for some reason that bugs me it a issue I have to work on sorry ladies hope it didnt sound to mean I really am a really nice woman .and really its not that important what they cal there grandpareants in the long run but lets just say I get the skin crawling thing

my son calls my mom mom okay I tell him all the time she not your mom she my mom shes your grandma or gram but he says she your mom so she my mom too mom so thast what I call her to a 9 year old it makes sence so I dont worry to much about it he loves her so much and that the important thing he feels like he has another mommy with her and really thats a good thing he feels so close to his grandma and grandpa is very much a blessing and my dad is poppa

Jamie - posted on 02/19/2010

I am from the South as is my Husband. My parents are Grandma and Grandpa, his Dad is Papa and his wife is Nana (don't really like it buttttttt). My Hubbies Grandmother (who raised him) is known by most everyone as Grannie. I forced the issue on what my parents were called but left the rest up to hubby and family. I have a Grandmother that everyone calls Memaw I don't.

Gidgit - posted on 02/19/2010

Our daughter has 4 grandmothers and 3 gradnfathers....So for us it was simple... She needs something to call each one. My mom is Grandma, my step mom is Memaw, Hubby's mom is Granny and his step mom is Nana. She is not a first grandchild so we just call them what all the other kids do. Her Grandpas wer a little different.. she has Grandpa Larry, Popa Ron and Papa Ernie.

I think putting too much importance on what you think you want to hear come out of your childs mouth is too time consuming! Just be happy and thankful your child has grandparents! We feel super blessed!!

Maggie - posted on 02/19/2010

Kids will call their grandparents whatever they choose. Most of my cousins called my grandparents Gramma and Grampa but one called them MeMe and Pampa. I started out calling myself Mommy but my kids call me Mim.

However, you should comply and call her Nanny until/unless your child comes up with something different. It took some getting used to for me, too. I never knew there were all these names. My husbands parents are called Nanny and Pappy...bleh! It's not so bad, though, and by calling them something different it would confuse the child.

Linda - posted on 02/19/2010

Why does it matter so much? I was my grandparents first grandchild and somehow ended up calling them Papa and Nanny. It stuck for 40 years, and everyone that knew them well called them that. My mother is known by lots of names because of so many grandkids, like others have said. I don't care what my grandbabies call me...I was born in the north and live in the south...I could care less. My joy is getting to see them and loving them...I am called grandma, my husband is called Papa, grandpa, pampa, and sometimes dad because 3 yo grandson hears my son call my husband Dad and he just thinks that's his name. There's much more to be worried about....don't just grin and bear it.....embrace it and love that your kids have grandparents to love!

Christy - posted on 02/19/2010

I grew up where we all called our grandparents grandpa and grandma. When I moved to the south and got married my husband told me his mom goes by Nana. Well I really don't like it. When I talk to my kids I call the grandma's just that grandma's. Grandma Susie and Grandma Rita. If my kids choose to call them something else when they can talk, then that is just fine with me. But in my house I go by grandma.

Cindy - posted on 02/18/2010

I am a grandma of 5 and I am called grandma, mammie, ma and ganma and my husband is called grandpa. PA, Anpa and we really don't care. They call to us in love and give us hugs, kisses and lots and lots of love as we give them kisses, hugs and lots and lots of love. I personally say don't sweat the small things and to me what they call me, within reason, doesn't matter because I have their love and they have mine. Just so you know 2 of the 5 don't talk yet so who knows what they will call us but the 3 that do call to us in all the love you can hear in their voices and glee in their feet and hands as they are excited to see us.

Jamie - posted on 02/18/2010

Children will choose to call their grandparent their own name for example my MIL stated she would not be called granny 1st child calls her granny 2y/o calls her gee and and 1st child has started, FIL is called Boopa don't know where that came from but okay. My Dad is called grandpappy by all his grandkids but mine, when my oldest was 2 he started calling him billybob ( my dads name is James) we have no clue why but it stuck. Let your kids decide what to call them, I really don't think it matters much, It could be worse they could choose MA and PA.