Is this weird?

[Smallstar]

I'm in the middle of a two-week stay with my in-laws and my MIL keeps calling herself "Mama" to my son. The most recent time was "Mama needs to go to work tomorrow and deal with those kindergartners" so she was obviously referring to herself and not to me.  She is Grandma to him, always has been. I hate that I'm letting this get under my skin, and I'm fully aware that it's because almost everything she does gets under my skin. But Mama, really? Isn't that name sort of already taken? Am I overreacting or is this weird?

[angelaa73]

oh it's like that, is it? well if she's mama then I guess you get to start dressing like

[lola]

really, really weird imo.

[goaskalice]

Yep, that's weird.

[missanne]

My Step-MIL wants to be called "Mum", my MIL wants to be called "Mama"... And I'm all "Grandma this & Grandma that"!

[Smallstar]

Ok, I feel like my rage is warranted now. My husband thinks it's weird too but doesn't get why I'm getting upset about it.

missanne We're doing the same thing! I told him that if she does it one more time, he needs to call her out on it in the mooment. In the meantime, we're making a game out of who can say Grandma the most times in conversation!

[cheeseandcrackers]

yeah, that's weird as hell.

[janiejones]

I'd probably be furious. I let stuff like that get to me.

[Moe]

[glassofsyrah]

Weird.

[RoxMonster]

Yep I find this weird. If my MIL did that, I would be saying something (or tell H he needs to say something also).

[Deleted]

Yes that is weird. Has she said that before? Is she drunk? Lol

[eb777888]

Honestly, I'd correct that shit right off the bat. I'd be PISSED. MIL lets one of S's cousins call her mom, I can tell she loves it. I told her that would never, ever be okay with David. I probably overreacted, but oh well. I'm pretty passionate about it.

[lime]

Weird.

I would totally call her out on that.

[softspot]

Mar 31, 2013 22:22:22 GMT -5 eb777888 said:

Honestly, I'd correct that shit right off the bat. I'd be PISSED. MIL lets one of S's cousins call her mom, I can tell she loves it. I told her that would never, ever be okay with David. I probably overreacted, but oh well. I'm pretty passionate about it.

I have a family like that as well. It's weird.

I would say something the next time it comes out. It doesn't have to be rude or confrontational, just let her know it's innapropriate.

[keyslover]

Mar 31, 2013 20:06:02 GMT -5 angelaa73 said:

oh it's like that, is it? well if she's mama then I guess you get to start dressing like

I love this made me smile.

Yes OP it is weird.

[fluffaluff]

Tell her mama is taken, but she can be Mimi, momo, meme, or mumu

[Deleted]

Yep that's weird.

[sonrisa]

Apr 1, 2013 0:45:02 GMT -5 squirrelymom said:

My MIL wanted to be called mama. I told H he better fix that shit because I was the only mama to our kids. I told her she could be big mama, grandmama, any host of other things, but not mama.

MIL was only 37 at the time I was pregnant, and H was 21. I'm thoroughly convinced that somewhere in her mind she thought people would assume she was the mom if she was out with the kid until he called her grandma and fixed that for them.

Yeah, it is unusual to be a grandma at 37 (I'd assume she was mom) but that is what happens if you have a kid as a teen. If you want someone to call you mama at 37, have your own kid.

[snakeoiltanker]

Mar 31, 2013 20:23:08 GMT -5 Smallstar said:

Ok, I feel like my rage is warranted now. My husband thinks it's weird too but doesn't get why I'm getting upset about it.

missanne We're doing the same thing! I told him that if she does it one more time, he needs to call her out on it in the mooment. In the meantime, we're making a game out of who can say Grandma the most times in conversation!

Sounds like a good way to handle it. Trust me you will get the most influence over what your kids call people. FIL always tries to get the kids to call his various girlfriends MeMaw. No fucking way. Ms 'first name' it is..

[iamgrace]

Weird.

My kid calls his grandmas "mama" but that's because he can't say grandma. We still call them grandma to him and they also refer to themselves as such.

I'm mommy, so there is a distinction.

[Deleted]

Definitely weird.