Battle of the Nannas: Grandparents clash over their names

“Calling them all the same name is surely going to be confusing for a child?” 

A new baby on the way brings plenty of excitement for the whole family.

But it can also bring some unexpected dilemmas...

One mother is currently navigating a surprisingly tricky situation—not the baby’s name, but the grandparents' names.

We all know there are many variations of “Grandma” and “Grandpa,” but what happens when both sets of grandparents want to use the same names?

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"Confusing for the child"

The mum-to-be shared her predicament in an online forum, explaining that the issue came up during a family gathering ahead of the baby’s arrival in the new year.

“The topic came up about what all the grandparents wanted to be called - both my dad and FIL want to be called Grampy and both my mum and MIL want to be called Nanna,” she wrote.

She’s concerned about the confusion it could create for her future child.

“We are in a little predicament. Calling them all the same name is surely going to be confusing for a child?” she asked.

Her in-laws already have grandchildren who call them Grampy and Nanna.

“They’ve been called Grampy and Nanna for years. They want to keep that the same with their next grandchild,” she explained. 

Initially, her mother wanted to go by “Nanny,” and her father wasn’t fussed—but they have since changed their minds.

“The conversation went down like a lead balloon, with everyone just awkwardly looking at each other before the subject got changed,” she recounted. 

Image: iStock

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"Not a problem"

The dad-to-be came up with a potential solution to keep the peace. 

“My partner thinks we should just call my mum "Nanna X" and my Dad "Grampy X" and his parents "Nanna and Grampy" as that's what they are called by our nephew,” she said.

Problem solved, right? Not quite.

“I suggested this to my mum - she hates the idea and just wants to be called Nanna. My MIL is also firmly against the idea of being called Nanna X,” the mother added.

Frustrated, she turned to the parenting forum for advice.

“Tough tits. If they both insist on being Nanna, then they have to be Nanna X and Nanna Y,” one commenter put it bluntly.

“We have a similar setup, and it’s not a problem,” another reassured her.

A third chimed in: “Your child will figure it out or come up with their own variations.”

Some questioned how often both sets of grandparents would even be in the same room with the child.

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Originally published as Battle of the Nannas: Grandparents clash over their names