[Hoping2BaMummy]

So I was trying to avoid this debate this early (I'm only 4wks!!) but it started last night when we told DH mum & stepdad. In my family the dads mum was grandma, and the mums mum was nan. I was thinking this is the way we'd go as my mums mum was my nan and thought shed like this. But MIL last night said she's going to be nanna... I'd pre-warned DH beforehand that I didn't want to go there yet so we ignored it. She said her boys called her mum that, but she's forgotten that she's now on the boys side!!

I'm not even sure about the grandpa side of things bcos I only ever knew 1 of my grandpa's, so he was grandpa.

[House.of.blue]

Unfortunately it doesn't matter what you want as the parents will call themselves what they want. My mum and dad are nanny and poppy to the grand kids and I like that my Inlaws however MIL insists in being called mama (I hate this as to be its a name for me the mother) it doesn't matter how many times I have approached her about my discomfort she will still call herself mama whilst FIL is grandpa. Originally MIL was grandmother but she shortened it to mama.

I hope your situation is different but I find that no matter what MIL uses what she wants with no respect to me.

[Cranky Kitten]

Oddly enough, even if they wind up calling themselves the same thing, it still works out. My mum decided early on when my niece was born that she wanted to be Nanna, this has kind of evolved to Nanny now that she's got a few more grandies. DH's mum is also Nanna to SIL's kids already, so DD occasionally says "Nanna Austen" or "Nanna Whyte" but directly to them it's still just Nanna.

You may also find that your kids make up their own names - my step grandfather was called Corgi by the oldest grandchild and it stuck forever and a day. My stepfather sometimes gets called Gannon as the kids struggled with "Grandad"

Let your parents pick what they like - it'll evolve when the kids start talking anyway.

[haras1972]

is this the first grandchild on both sides? If not, you may have to go with what's already established by the other grandchildren.

Growing up both my grandmothers were called Nana - it's not really a big deal...

Honestly, let it go - you may find that your child has a pet name that they prefer to us - my cousin always called my Nana Kath, Kay-Kay, right up to her death when my cousin would have been in her 20's.

[lsolaBella]

I found the last thing my mum wanted to be called was what her mum was called ( I believe anything but that was the phrase used).

We have slight Italian ancestors, so my folks decided to be Nonna and Nonno ( I had nan and pop ). That was more because SIL was German and her folks were oma and opa

MIL decided she wanted to be Nanny.

Like PP said they pick their name.

options I want when my time comes.... Grandy. I know my GGGGrandmother was Duchess.

Eta it is a family joke that one of my kids refers to my folks as the two Nonnos.

My Grandmother (still kicking at 94) was Nan to all of my cousins, but wants to be Nanny G with her GGrandkids. Works OK....except mil is a Nanny G too.

This post has been edited by lsolaBella: 19/01/2013, 08:49 AM

[Riotproof]

It doesn't really matter what the grandparents decide, kids tend to have their own minds about it.

My ils spent months deciding what they wanted to be called. Fil wanted grand dad, mil wanted grandma.
Ds calls fil Papa, we think he was trying to say grandpa, but it's stuck now. Mil was called Lady for a time, and now she's called something that sounds like Ema, we think he's think he was trying to say grandma.

Mum who wanted Nanna is Nanna. I expect Nanna is a bit easier to say, plus she is already Nanna to my nephew so the family use it already.

Whatever happens will work out, even if you have two Nanna's.

[Old Grey Mare]

My parents are Grandma and Grandfather and DHs parents died when he was young. I agree with some PPs that children often make up their own names for their grandparents. My neighbours grandsons call him Grar and their other grandfather is Fart. Another friend's children call their grandfather Mumps.

[probyber]

my mum wanted just Ma and Dad wanted Pa HOwie, the Ma stayed its what we all call her and dad anded up being powie. Pa Howie combined. Wouldn't have it any other way.

[Akeyo]

We asked the respective grandparents what they wanted to be called and left it up to them, there was no crossover. My parents are classic baby boomers who weren't keen on the usual Grandma/Grandpa title (forever young!) so have their own unique monikers which works. The PIL went the traditional route of Nanny and Pa.

Unfortunately it doesn't matter what you want as the parents will call themselves what they want. My mum and dad are nanny and poppy to the grand kids and I like that my Inlaws however MIL insists in being called mama (I hate this as to be its a name for me the mother) it doesn't matter how many times I have approached her about my discomfort she will still call herself mama whilst FIL is grandpa. Originally MIL was grandmother but she shortened it to mama.

I hope your situation is different but I find that no matter what MIL uses what she wants with no respect to me.

I find that quite bizarre! I would be very uncomfortable with that too PinkNBlue85, there is a huge difference between Grandmother and Mama - it's not a natural shortening at all! Your child has only one mama and that's you. And strange that even though you have voiced your feelings about it, she has persisted. As you say, that is so disrespectful.

[marnie27]

My children have seven living grandparents, and all the grandmothers wanted to be Nanna. We ended up with Nanna (mil) Nanna Sxxx (their dad's mum) Nanna Mxxx (their dad's stepmum) and Nanna Pxxx (my stepmum) - so Nanna and their first name. We also have Poppy (fil) Poppy Gxxx (their dad's dad) and Grandad Jxxx (my dad) - no idea why he gets his first name tagged on as he is the only grandad except it sounds good and it "matches" better with his partner.

The only stipulation we had that no one could share a title with my mum as she passed away many years ago before the kids were born. I wanted her to have something with my kids no one else has. It's bittersweet to hear my little boy point her out in pictures and refer to Grandma Jxxx.

Don't worry too much about the shared name thing - my kids have four Nannas and it worked out fine.