TOTALLY GEEKED!

Lady Gaga Snerd · Guru

Dear Abby: They Aren't Real Grandparents

FNW · Guru

This is right up there with children calling their parents' friends, "aunt" this or "uncle" that. I just don't get it. I remember when I met my husband and he brought me up to meet his family. They talked about aunt so and so and uncle so and so and later I asked my husband whether they were his mother's siblings or his father's. He actually had to stop and think about it then realized they were neither.

Ex-husband and new wife can consider themselves grandparents if they want. Personally, I wouldn't care too much, as long as they acted like grandparents and showered my children with love. When the kids are older and start asking questions, I would explain the relationship, i.e., grandma's ex-husband who loves you like his own and thinks of himself as your grandfather.

I would wonder more, what real grandma's current husband thinks of this and what daughter's real father thinks of it as well. But really, it's up to the daughter and she is fine with it.

Dona Worry Be Happy · Vette's SS!!

I was in my teens before I realized that Great-aunts Ruthie and Ilene were not in fact blood relatives, and Aunties Kam and Roz weren't either.
But, neither had nieces of their own, and they lavished love on my sister and I. THey deserved the title of Aunt, and still do.

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

Families are not always about blood. "Aunt" and "Uncle" can be honorary titles.

jlbear71 · Guru

My Grandmom was my mom's step mom. She was more of a grandmother to me that my mother's womb donor.

I am honored to have the honorary title of "Aunt" to several of my nieces and nephews. It does not take anything away from actual blood relative. I treat them all the same and they all love hanging with "Auntie".

Mellow Momma · Sniff...sniff, sniff. Yay! A Bum!

Lawyerlady wrote:
Families are not always about blood. "Aunt" and "Uncle" can be honorary titles.

I am aunt to several non blood relatives. Children of close friends call me aunt, DD's godmother's children call me aunt... And here at the school a few of the faculty we are close with, their children call me aunt. It's a term of endearment more than anything else. When Mrs is too formal and just a first name sounds funny, aunt seems to fit the bill perfectly.

At the school, all faculty is to be called Mr or Ms <last name> and spouses may be called Mr or Ms <first name> but students are not to call anyone by just a first name. Which sounds normal, but our relationships are more than typical faculty and student. I eat breakfast lunch and dinner with these kids, I see them all day, every day. I see them more than their parents, so it is a bit odd that they have to call me Ms. But we respect the rules.

I was almost 38 before I became an aunt by blood. It killed me not to have any nieces or nephews until then.

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

Mellow Momma wrote:
Lawyerlady wrote:
Families are not always about blood. "Aunt" and "Uncle" can be honorary titles.
I am aunt to several non blood relatives. Children of close friends call me aunt, DD's godmother's children call me aunt... And here at the school a few of the faculty we are close with, their children call me aunt. It's a term of endearment more than anything else. When Mrs is too formal and just a first name sounds funny, aunt seems to fit the bill perfectly.
At the school, all faculty is to be called Mr or Ms <last name> and spouses may be called Mr or Ms <first name> but students are not to call anyone by just a first name. Which sounds normal, but our relationships are more than typical faculty and student. I eat breakfast lunch and dinner with these kids, I see them all day, every day. I see them more than their parents, so it is a bit odd that they have to call me Ms. But we respect the rules.

I was almost 38 before I became an aunt by blood. It killed me not to have any nieces or nephews until then.

Here in the south, we have a solution to that - we use "Mister" and "Miss" with the first name. It makes it more respectful. Although many northerners don't get it and think the "Miss" thing is derogatory and disrespectful.

Ohfour · Hooker

Lawyerlady wrote:
Mellow Momma wrote:
Lawyerlady wrote:
Families are not always about blood. "Aunt" and "Uncle" can be honorary titles.
I am aunt to several non blood relatives. Children of close friends call me aunt, DD's godmother's children call me aunt... And here at the school a few of the faculty we are close with, their children call me aunt. It's a term of endearment more than anything else. When Mrs is too formal and just a first name sounds funny, aunt seems to fit the bill perfectly.
At the school, all faculty is to be called Mr or Ms <last name> and spouses may be called Mr or Ms <first name> but students are not to call anyone by just a first name. Which sounds normal, but our relationships are more than typical faculty and student. I eat breakfast lunch and dinner with these kids, I see them all day, every day. I see them more than their parents, so it is a bit odd that they have to call me Ms. But we respect the rules.

I was almost 38 before I became an aunt by blood. It killed me not to have any nieces or nephews until then.
Here in the south, we have a solution to that - we use "Mister" and "Miss" with the first name. It makes it more respectful. Although many northerners don't get it and think the "Miss" thing is derogatory and disrespectful.

Oh yes! Here it is very disrespectful for a child to call an adult by their first name without Mr Or Ms in front. G's kids still call me Miss OhFour.

Mellow Momma · Sniff...sniff, sniff. Yay! A Bum!

Lawyerlady wrote:
Mellow Momma wrote:
Lawyerlady wrote:
Families are not always about blood. "Aunt" and "Uncle" can be honorary titles.
I am aunt to several non blood relatives. Children of close friends call me aunt, DD's godmother's children call me aunt... And here at the school a few of the faculty we are close with, their children call me aunt. It's a term of endearment more than anything else. When Mrs is too formal and just a first name sounds funny, aunt seems to fit the bill perfectly.
At the school, all faculty is to be called Mr or Ms <last name> and spouses may be called Mr or Ms <first name> but students are not to call anyone by just a first name. Which sounds normal, but our relationships are more than typical faculty and student. I eat breakfast lunch and dinner with these kids, I see them all day, every day. I see them more than their parents, so it is a bit odd that they have to call me Ms. But we respect the rules.

I was almost 38 before I became an aunt by blood. It killed me not to have any nieces or nephews until then.
Here in the south, we have a solution to that - we use "Mister" and "Miss" with the first name. It makes it more respectful. Although many northerners don't get it and think the "Miss" thing is derogatory and disrespectful.

That still sounds too formal for me. But I am an un cultured northerner! Lol

Lexxy · My dog name is Sasha, too!

Ohfour wrote:
Lawyerlady wrote:
Mellow Momma wrote:
Lawyerlady wrote:
Families are not always about blood. "Aunt" and "Uncle" can be honorary titles.
I am aunt to several non blood relatives. Children of close friends call me aunt, DD's godmother's children call me aunt... And here at the school a few of the faculty we are close with, their children call me aunt. It's a term of endearment more than anything else. When Mrs is too formal and just a first name sounds funny, aunt seems to fit the bill perfectly.
At the school, all faculty is to be called Mr or Ms <last name> and spouses may be called Mr or Ms <first name> but students are not to call anyone by just a first name. Which sounds normal, but our relationships are more than typical faculty and student. I eat breakfast lunch and dinner with these kids, I see them all day, every day. I see them more than their parents, so it is a bit odd that they have to call me Ms. But we respect the rules.

I was almost 38 before I became an aunt by blood. It killed me not to have any nieces or nephews until then.
Here in the south, we have a solution to that - we use "Mister" and "Miss" with the first name. It makes it more respectful. Although many northerners don't get it and think the "Miss" thing is derogatory and disrespectful.
Oh yes! Here it is very disrespectful for a child to call an adult by their first name without Mr Or Ms in front. G's kids still call me Miss OhFour.

My best friends kids called me Aunt Lexxy when they were little. My next door neighbor kids call me Ms Lexxy. Well now that they are tweens they don't really talk to me much anymore but when they were little they did.

voiceofreason · Guru

My kids call their step mom mom and the grands call her gramma. Shrug. Our family dynamic allows for this with out curling up in a corner, gnashing teeth and wailing.

Mellow Momma · Sniff...sniff, sniff. Yay! A Bum!

Don't forget pearl clutching !!! Lol

Ohfour · Hooker

*eyeroll*

Southern_Belle · Nothing's Impossible

I get called miss SB by my younger coworkers, it's just a southern thang.

FNW · Guru

Ohfour wrote:
Lawyerlady wrote:
Mellow Momma wrote:
Lawyerlady wrote:
Families are not always about blood. "Aunt" and "Uncle" can be honorary titles.
I am aunt to several non blood relatives. Children of close friends call me aunt, DD's godmother's children call me aunt... And here at the school a few of the faculty we are close with, their children call me aunt. It's a term of endearment more than anything else. When Mrs is too formal and just a first name sounds funny, aunt seems to fit the bill perfectly.
At the school, all faculty is to be called Mr or Ms <last name> and spouses may be called Mr or Ms <first name> but students are not to call anyone by just a first name. Which sounds normal, but our relationships are more than typical faculty and student. I eat breakfast lunch and dinner with these kids, I see them all day, every day. I see them more than their parents, so it is a bit odd that they have to call me Ms. But we respect the rules.

I was almost 38 before I became an aunt by blood. It killed me not to have any nieces or nephews until then.
Here in the south, we have a solution to that - we use "Mister" and "Miss" with the first name. It makes it more respectful. Although many northerners don't get it and think the "Miss" thing is derogatory and disrespectful.
Oh yes! Here it is very disrespectful for a child to call an adult by their first name without Mr Or Ms in front. G's kids still call me Miss OhFour.

I teach my boys to call an adult by Miss or Mr., no matter how close they might be to me.

flan327 · Itty bitty's Grammy

The only one who calls me "Miss flan," is DH's ex. It sets my teeth on edge. To his grandkids, I'm just "flan."

There is no way I am usurping her title.

flan

NAOW · Vette's SS

FNW wrote:
Ohfour wrote:
Lawyerlady wrote:
Mellow Momma wrote:
Lawyerlady wrote:
Families are not always about blood. "Aunt" and "Uncle" can be honorary titles.
I am aunt to several non blood relatives. Children of close friends call me aunt, DD's godmother's children call me aunt... And here at the school a few of the faculty we are close with, their children call me aunt. It's a term of endearment more than anything else. When Mrs is too formal and just a first name sounds funny, aunt seems to fit the bill perfectly.
At the school, all faculty is to be called Mr or Ms <last name> and spouses may be called Mr or Ms <first name> but students are not to call anyone by just a first name. Which sounds normal, but our relationships are more than typical faculty and student. I eat breakfast lunch and dinner with these kids, I see them all day, every day. I see them more than their parents, so it is a bit odd that they have to call me Ms. But we respect the rules.

I was almost 38 before I became an aunt by blood. It killed me not to have any nieces or nephews until then.
Here in the south, we have a solution to that - we use "Mister" and "Miss" with the first name. It makes it more respectful. Although many northerners don't get it and think the "Miss" thing is derogatory and disrespectful.
Oh yes! Here it is very disrespectful for a child to call an adult by their first name without Mr Or Ms in front. G's kids still call me Miss OhFour.
I teach my boys to call an adult by Miss or Mr., no matter how close they might be to me.

I do too. I think it sounds nice. I first heard it when one of my friend's in laws were in town and they had their kids do that. I think it sounds really polite. They were from Fl. so I guess that makes sense.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

Miss and Mister are just a way of life around here. I was raised using it, I raised my kids using it.

In my family we use titles. I am Aunt Lily. My brother is Uncle Brother. I think it started to help kids keep who is who straight.

I had 2 grannies and 2 mawmaws and 3 pawpaws. So a name was attached to each one to distinguish.

We use cousin so n so too. Except for me. One of the kids called me Lily cousin and it stuck. Now it seems everyone uses it.

I am Miss Lily at church and where ever else.

As to the OP, the pawpaw that passed just last year was not my "real" pawpaw. Granted he married my mawmaw when my mother was 5. He raised her.

While I knew from early on that he wasn't blood I never thought of him as anything else but pawpaw.

My blood pawpaw didn't feel the need to come to my wedding. But my "fake" pawpaw came.

"Real" family and blood family are not always the same thing.

huskerbb · Guru

Lawyerlady wrote:
Families are not always about blood. "Aunt" and "Uncle" can be honorary titles.

Besides, what do you call people who may not be blood related--but are a large part of your children's lives? My best friend's twins call me "Uncle husker"--and so does their mom when referring to me. What's the big deal? My best friend doesn't have any siblings. His wife only has one sister. I'll probably be "around" more than many "aunts" and "uncles" in many childrens' lives.

chef · Guru

I'd consider the ex-husband and his wife to be grandparents. He was the daughter's stepfather for however many years he was married to her mother.

DS has quite a few non-blood relative aunts and uncles.