MIL consistently refers to self in the third person. With tweens.

[Anonymous]

Is it narcissism? Or more? Or something different?

Many people do this with babies and toddlers. My MIL continues to do this with my pre-teens. (As in, "Grandma is going to go...." "What do you think Grandma would eat at that restaurant?" "Tell Grandma about school.")

[Anonymous]

Oh geez. Does everything have to be narcissism now? Can't it just be a weird tic or a holdover from the way her grandparents spoke to her?

[Anonymous]

OP here. No, not everything. Thus why I posit that. Thanks for being helpful.

(Does everything on DCUM have to be snarky? Can't replies be from people who simply want to help and not work out their own interpersonal issues?)

[Anonymous]

Wow, just stop.

[Anonymous]

Agree on both. And I understand why the initial poster was a little annoyed. They wrote looking for some insights, maybe to relieve some stress about the MIL. But I suppose that's what anonymous forums often are like.

To OP -- seems to me -- whatever it is -- is odd. Narcissism or whatever. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

My mom does this sometimes often I have a tween and 2 teens. No one cares. She is awesome and supportive of all of us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My mom does this sometimes often I have a tween and 2 teens. No one cares. She is awesome and supportive of all of us.

I meant to change my sometimes to often, because after thinking about it, she does it pretty darn often. But we love her very much.

[Anonymous]

My dad does this. He does have many narcissistic traits...

I think he does it because he's super proud to be a grandpa, but also insecure about it all at the same time (as in do kids love him as much as he wants to be loved as grandpa).

It bothered me a lot when DS was 4 and had language difficulties (and mimicked it, referring to himself that way too), but now that they're tweens it's just annoying and a grandpa-ish thing that grandpa does.

[Anonymous]

My MIL does this and I think it is just part of her being a quirky old lady

[Anonymous]

I personally think that people who do this with their real name (not a role title, like Grandma or Mommy) have a touch of arrogance.

Wouldn’t call that alone narcissism.

[Anonymous]

Why does labeling her behavior mean so much to you? Why can't you just accept it as a quirk and let it go? Your insistence on this says way more about you than her. Try to remember that this is a woman who loves your children, and that no child can have too many people love him or her.

Perhaps you have quirks or character traits that she finds annoying but she overlooks them because she hopes that you also love your children?

[Anonymous]

My parents do this, and grandkids in the family are 13 through 20. It's not a referendum on their character that they say something like "Grandpa's going to use the bathroom now, I'll look at your essay in a few minutes."

What is weird is that you would think that they have a personality disorder because of this. Weird, and a little hateful.

[Anonymous]

Don’t act like a tween yourself. Grandparents do this kind of things. Respect her, let it be.

[Anonymous]

When you don't like someone, their little peculiarities all get on your nerves and seem slightly sinister. When you do like someone, these little things seem delightful to you, and you might even adopt some of them yourself. That's how life is.

[Anonymous]

Who cares? What are you Freud?