My MIL wanted to be called Grandmama. I didn’t care but felt ridiculous saying it, so I called her Grandma when referring to her. So I’d say Grandma Larla is coming over, not Grandmama Larla. And my children call her Grandma. I’d feel ridiculous saying mom-mom too, so would probably refer to her as Grandmom. You can set the tone here, because you’re going to be the person they hear name the person the most. Just say ok, and call her Grandma.

The difference in the use of pop-pop from mom-mom is that most children today do not call their fathers Pop. They mostly call them Dad. So Pop-pop is different than Dad. Mom-mom and Mom is a very different kettle of fish.

For what it’s worth in some languages (like Danish) grandma is literally “mom-mom.” At least for the maternal grandmother, paternal grandmother is “dad-mom”.

Anonymous wrote:I grew up with two Grandmas and my mom weirdly decided that she wanted to be called Nana. No we are not Italian in the slightest. I think it was because she couldn't take the idea of herself getting older.

It’s european, not just Italian, and infinitely better than mommom.

I grew up with two Grandmas and my mom weirdly decided that she wanted to be called Nana. No we are not Italian in the slightest. I think it was because she couldn't take the idea of herself getting older.

I would not allow that. It’s ridiculous. And if my DH’s mom was already trying to overrule me before I even had the kids then I’m not sure she would have any place in their life at all.

It’s more of a regional thing - Mommom and Poppop are popular in New Jersey/Delaware/PA. Mommom doesn’t actually sound like mom mom but more like mummum. Definitely not confusing with mom!

Oh, and my mom-mom was my dad’s mom, actually. And my older cousins were already calling her that so my parents really did not have a lot of veto power there.
Mom-mom and Pop-pop.

I had a mom-mom. Believe me, it was NOT confusing at all (vs my actual mom).
Also, just because they want to be called something doesn’t mean that’s what they’ll actually end up as... lots of granoarents wind up as some funny mispronounced version of their original intention.
I say, as long as they aren’t asking to be called Mom or Grand Master of Snakes or something completely ridiculous, let it go

Anonymous wrote:My husband calls his grandma (his mom's mom) Mom Mom. I think it's cute. Kids will make up
Whatever name they want for grandma. Just let it be.

I think it is typically used for the mother's mother. We used it for our mother's mother, and I think it's just something that runs in families and passes down through the women. It doesnt make sense to have it as your paternal mother's nickname to me. It's quite affectionate and close of a term, befitting the closeness of the mother daughter bond, super endearing term vs more of a formal grandmother name.

Let her be called what she wants. You sound so controlling.

The only people who I know who use "mom-mom" are backcountry folks. I went to grad school in a very redneck/country backwoods type of area and it was very common.

Veto it. It's awful.