Is my MIL acting weird?

[Cheerio]

DS (who is three) just started playing soccer. His second game was yesterday. We do not know any of the other parents or kids on his team. Yesterday, MIL came to the game. During the game she overheard another family cheering for their child by name and then began cheering him by that name also. DH and I cheer for the team in general, mostly by team name, but not for an individual child that we don't know. Would you think it was weird if you were that parent and someone that you didn't know started cheering your child on by name?

The thing that makes it more odd is that I checked the team roster and there isn't a child by that name on it, so I don't know if its a nickname or what. It's an odd name that I've never heard before.

[vanillacourage]

My MIL does this too, she hears parents cheering for their kid and picks up the name. I wouldn't find it weird if it were my kid - especially when they're little, in cheering for them as a team, not individually.

[Deleted]

This happens all the time where I live.
It's not something I do personally, but everyone else seems to.
She's just being nice.

[brooklyn]

I'd find it weird. But I find it creepy when people call my kid by his name and he/I have never met them before.

[stretchad]

This is normal.

[mlt]

Sounds like your MIL is just being nice/friendly. I'd think it was really sweet if someone cheered for my son. Assuming the person was associated with the team in some way, which she is. A complete random stranger just looking on might weird me out.

[hopecounts]

This is normal in my area but I imagine it varies by locale.

[m1and1m]

I don't think it's weird, but only because most kids love to be cheered on period. I don't think they care who is doing the cheering but the louder the better!

But not mine, of course. She did a Tri yesterday and gave explicit instructions that we could ring the cowbell and wave the sign, but we're NOT to tell for her unless we we're spelling her name.

[Deleted]

Totally normal. I always liked being cheered on while playing.

[wavepool]

normal and friendly here

[jeaniebueller]

I cheer for other kids on DS's team, but I don't think that is too weird.

[momof2boys]

My kids play multiple sports and this is normal for us. For hockey one of the moms will usually even type up a list of the kids names with their jersey numbers so we can figure out who is who. I think its nice that someone is cheering my son on when he is doing a good job and we spend a lot of time with these kids/parents.

[cjeanette]

This is normal. Why would it be weird to encourage a kid on her grandson's team?

[Deleted]

Seems normal enough.

When I was a kid we always had our names on our shirts so random people cheered a lot.

[ijack]

people cheer on college and professional players and have likely never met them.

[shell24]

I vote normal, and nice.

[statlerwaldorf]

It always seems weird to me, but it's normal in dd's league.

[formerlyllizzyb]

My MIL would definitely do this.

My mom would not.