I'm a 36 year old librarian who loves to run, read, do yoga and hang out with my friends and family. I ran the 2008 & 2009 Boston Marathon for Team Eye & Ear to support the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Go Team Eye & Ear!







Friday, January 23, 2009

A Nana is a Grandma is a Bubbe

Family friends used to refer to their mother's parents as Hee Hee (aka Grandma) and Chugga Chugga (aka Grandpa). Hee Hee got her name because that was the sound she made when she laughed, while Chugga Chugga was really into trains (as in, Chugga chugga chugga chugga choo chooo!) This article discusses how baby boomers increasingly don't want to be called Grandma or Grandpa because they associate the titles with being old and boring. The article states one woman wants to go by Glamma (a glamorous Grandma, get it?), while another woman wants to be called, Coco. The funniest part of the article though mentions:
Steven, a 58-year-old doctor, said he didn't want a typical grandfatherly name, either, because "I still feel like I am 25." So he chose to go by "Papa Doc." He was going for a Marcus Welby, M.D. vibe -- after the mellow, graying doctor in a popular television series in the late '60s and early '70s -- but unfortunately the name reminds most people of the late Haitian dictator, François "Papa Doc" Duvalier.
Growing up, I called my mom's mom "Nana" and her dad "Grandpa." My dad's mom went by "Grandma." My nephews call my in-laws "Grammy" and "Grandpa." I like these titles; they're familiar and no one is confused by whom you're talking about exactly. Coco could be your family's Labrador or a French exchange student. These new age titles are ridiculous; calling yourself Glamma doesn't negate the fact that you are old enough to be a grandmother.
What did you call your grandparents?

5 comments:

Vince P. said...

Growing up, my cousin called Grandma "Poo Poo", because she couldn't pronounce properly the Cantonese words for Grandma, which sounds like "Paw Paw"!

Got 2 Trot Librarian said...

LOL, that's really funny (and a little unfortunate for your grandma.) ;-)

Nick P. said...

I would think "Poo Poo" is probably a popular nickname for gascious baby-boomer grandfathers.

Suldog said...

On my father's side, "Ma" & "Pa". On my mother's, "Gramma" and "Grampa".

Interesting tidbit: My father and all of his siblings called their parents "Mom" and "Dad" until I came along. I was the first grandchild, and apparently I re-christened them. Everybody called them "Ma" & "Pa" after I did so, and they are still referred to that way (many years after passing on) by all members of that side of the family.

Anonymous said...

I called my mom's parents Nana and Grampy Flaps (he always wore a hat with ear flaps. My dad's dad was just Grampy. My mother in law has already put in for title of "Grand Goddess" rather than grandma when the time comes...

- Jen