Naming The Grandparents
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Even though I am the oldest, my sister was the first to bless my father and step-mother with a grandchild. I remember that as soon as she could talk, she named my father ?Poppy?. My step-mother was ?Grammy?. Although my mother had passed on years before, we decided to give her a grandmotherly name too. When we refer to my mother in conversation, we call her ?O-Ma?, which is German for grandmother.
When my children were born several years later, life got even more complex. Not only were there grandparents to name, but there were great-grandparents to name too. Both of the parents of my parents were still alive at the time. On my ex?s side, there was one great-grandparent to name in addition to his parents.
Some of the relatives were happy with traditional names, others were more creative. My grandmother decided that she was much too young at the age of 75 to be a great-grandmother and she asked for the children to call her G.G. This was code for ?what a GREAT grandmother!?
Some of my grandparents asked my children to call them the same name that I called them. For example, my grandfather announced that he was ?Pappy?, and that everyone regardless of which generation they hailed from could address him as such.
Several years ago, I remarried and my children gained a whole new family. My husband?s family didn?t mind having the girls refer to them by their first names?until my husband and I had a child together last year. We all realized that it was important to find names which would be appropriate for everyone. We added ?grandma? and ?grandpa? before their names and the transition was relatively painless for my children.
A quick internet search revealed that there are numerous nicknames for grandparents and great grandparents. Some of the names, like Gramby, I thought were clever and cute. Some, like Slo-Ma, could be cruel or funny, depending upon your sense of humor.
When choosing a nickname for your parents and grandparents, it?s best to ask them what they prefer to be called. If they have no preference, you may wish to make some suggestions but let them make the final decision. Then again, your child may make the decision for both of you!
What nickname have you chosen for your children?s grandparents? How did you choose that name?
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