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- July 26, 2008
Who You Callin’ Grandma?
I hear it all the time: “You don’t look old enough to be a grandparent.” As a 51-year-old baby boomer, I am among a growing trend of women who are not only wives and mothers—we are also grandmothers.
Personally, I don’t mind being called grandma by my two-year-old grandson but there are some baby boomers who shun the notion of being identified as the traditional “grandma” and “grandpa.”
Gone are the days when you saw a silver-haired woman wearing their hair in a bun and a dress near her ankles. They are no longer baking cookies for the grandkids and sitting in rocking chairs. Today’s grandmothers are, more than likely, still in the workforce or entrepreneurs. They are probably also more likely to take an active role in their grandchildren’s day-to-day lives.
So what do you call today’s “new grandma”? Is it acceptable for a grandchild to call his/her grandmother by her first name?
One woman describes her mother’s attitude against being called GRANDMA this way: “My mom is your typical white middle-class suburban Southern Baptist Bible-thumpin’ Dubya-suppportin’ Texan. She has big, puffy, shellacked blond hair and wears T-shirts with three-dimensional objects hanging off them. She believes in Jesus Christ, the Republican Party, craft fairs and spiral perms. She has rebelled against Grandma because it sounds `old’ and she’s only 41. She wants her grandkids to call her Peaches. “She’s even thinking of having a peach tattooed on her toe.” (quote taken from an article in the Houston Chronicle 3/20/04).
7 Responses to “Who You Callin’ Grandma?”
I won’t mind being called Gran or Grandma when the time comes – I just wasn’t in a rush for it to happen. I made my mum a Grandma at the age of 41 too. I’m almost 51 and it hasn’t happened yet in our family but our eldest daughter assures us it won’t be too much longer.
By Kathie Thomas, A Clayton's Secretary on Jul 26, 2008
I totally agree, I am being told all the time I dont look like a grandma. I honestly dont feel like a grandma either.
I am called Ma Maw
By Deanna on Jul 30, 2008
Frankly I think “peaches” sounds silly. I’m 61 and still waiting for my kids (soon to be 30 and 34) to get married and have children. I’d be proud to have them call me grandma and I don’t look my age either. I have trouble getting my AARP discounts.
ayburke.wordpress.com
By Arlene on Jul 30, 2008
I became “Nana” two weeks before my 46th birthday. I was so excited and proud. My daughter had been married for two years and they said they were going to wait for five years before having children. (I was praying it wouldn’t take so long–my prayers were answered!)
The name game started during her pregnancy, what should I be called? Since her in-laws were already Grandpa and Grandma, we chose Papa and Nana for my husband and myself. I relish in the title!
Now, proud Nana of two adorable little princesses, I often get confused with being their mother. I take it as a compliment and correct them gently. I will be 51 later this month.
By Teri Dempski on Aug 2, 2008
Teri,
It’s funny you should mention the whole name game. That’s what I went through as well. My grandson’s great and great-great grandparents are still alive so we all had to come up with names to differentiate us. Hubby and I are “grandma and grandpa” Great grandparents are nana and pop-pop. Great-great grandma is Grandma Netta.
By Beverly on Aug 2, 2008
They, (all five) call me Grammie Sheila. They correct each other when they call me Granny. I have never corrected them, but maybe the other “Grammie” has. I am only 48 and appreciate their sensitivity. My oldest GC is 13, youngest, 7.
By Sheila on Aug 16, 2008
I admit I was one of those women who was not in a rush to be a grandmother. In fact, I had encouraged all my children to wait until they were 30 to even get married. My daughter was the first to break the news of the impending birth of my first grandchild (I was 47). Grandma just wasn’t going to do it for me…in my mind I saw MY grandmother when I heard that “name”; and although I adored my Grandma Darrow, it just didn’t “feel” right. Being of Spanish and Italian decent, I went to the names Abuela and Nonna. Since abuela seemed like a challange for a small child to say and, since “no” is one of the first words mastered by a child, I settled on Nonna. I love that it easily differentiates me from the other grandma’s in the family.
By Karen on Dec 14, 2008