What are you views on kiddies calling (or encouraged to call) people 'auntie' or 'uncle' when they aren't related to them in any way?

It really annoys me I was brought up to only call my actual family auntie, uncle, nana, gramps etc. For example; my uncle married someone when I was little, I called them auntie, since then they have got divorced, and I no longer call them my auntie lol.

I have never and never would encourage O to call someone auntie/uncle if they weren't actual family.

The reason I have brought this up is because at O's nursery school they encourage the kids to call the nursery assistants 'auntie' so-and-so...I don't like it But not sure how to go about it. At the moment I just encourage him to call them by their name, but they keep saying 'come back next week and see auntie so-and-so' So i keep reinforcing to just call them by their first name.

Am I being silly? or would you feel the same. Its just that all the other kiddies call them auntie so not sure how to tackle the whole situation

I agree with you, I dont like the idea of calling non family by relationship names. I dont disagree with people who want to do this within their own family/friends but it is solely up to the parents to decide NOT anybody else. I will move this to the Lounge as more ladies will see it xx

thats a bit weird if you ask me i wouldnt like it either!!

iv no problem with kids calling some people aunti, for example my kids call my cousine auntie because she has no sibling's so will never be an auntie(blood related iykwim). i call my auntie tan auntie and she was never married to my uncle(who has now passed away) but they were together befor i was born and have 5 kids lol x

I must admit, I do encourage O to call my cousin (1st cousin) ' Auntie B', just cos I think its odd for him to call her '2nd cousin B' lol - but she is actual 'blood' family.

I'm just not likeing O being encouraged to call his nursery assistants 'auntie'. I can understand the methods behind it - with the whole settling in process and making them feel 'at home' etc - But me no likey

I agree, I hate calling random people auntie/uncle. I still can't call my Uncle's wife auntie to her face, i refer to her as that to people outside the family but never to her face. She's been with my Uncle since I was about 5

I would never call nursery workers Auntie, thats weird and really confusing for the children, cause honestly they'll only be in their life for a year ish.

i personally include my siblings partners as auntie or uncle...e.g...my sister has been with her bf for years now, so he's part of our family even if not by blood...but outside of my siblings and partners no-one is 'aunty' or 'uncle'

i totally get why you'd not want him calling the nursery staff aunty...it seems weird. could you quietly have a word with the manager of the nursery and just let them know that you don't approve?

mmmm no, there is a difference between home and school/nursery - thats the whole idea isnt it?? Im with you on this one, it would make me feel uncomfortable. Kids will have a shock when they go to school then and realise that teachers are not "auntie's" but superiors and an authority figure x

i make elijah call pixel auntie...but i don't think i would really do it in a serious way, it's a bit odd sometimes, a bit overfamiliar.

I heard a girl at Izzys nursery refer to herself as Aunty Sara or whatever her name was and I was so annoyed! I asked my friend who works there if its usual and she said NO they aren't supposed to (at that nursery!)

As you know Izzy doesn't have any aunties on my side, as would have just been my sister. So my 3 best friends I call her aunties.

Thats it though!

I think I will Kenty. He's only been there a few weeks and still settling in at the mo. He has formed a bit of a bond to 1 of the girls (who is really nice ) and she always refers to herself as Aunty S***, But I just call her S***. So far he's never called her Aunty..but i think i'll mention it.

well, i dont really have a problem with sophie calling people me and andy know aunty or uncle, but we make the decision about it, and i certainly wouldnt want sophie calling any of her nursery carers aunty that is very weird in my opinion. if I were you I would write a letter saying that you arent comfortable with your son calling his carers aunty, as if they are family, when he will be moving up a year etc in a year and this is surely confusing for him. xx

mmm I think it's ok with close friends and family but not at nursery or random people.

I used to call my mums best friend aunty jackie even though she's not although actually I used to call my childminder aunty Linda but I don't think she told me to I think I just chose to do it myself.

I call my mums partner his grandpa Mark even though they're not married and my dads girlfriend is nanny Nat even though they're not married but that's different isn't it.

I wouldn't want nursery teachers telling Tyler to call them aunty though I think it's really weird!

I don't agree with it either. Auntie and Uncle is reserved for relatives or long term partners of relatives although even now I don't call 2 of my Aunts' partners uncle and they have been together for 30+ years.

The kids over the fence from us call me Auntie and I am not comfortable with it because they are only passing acquaintances but for how often I speak to them I just let it go.

Wil calls all my aunts and uncles Auntie and Uncle even though they are great-aunts and uncles to him, adding great is such a mouth full.

As an exception we call FIL's dog Auntie Cassie because she is a batty old thing like the stereo typical old aunt.

No I think that's really weird for the staff at the nursery to be called auntie! My best friend and I are auntie to each others children but we're like each others sisters that we never had and have known each other for 20 years so I think that's ok, but I think it's giving the wrong impression for the children to have the staff called auntie xxx

i dont agree with calling nursery workers aunty, thats too close for comfort to me and i would be asking the nursery not too promote this with my kids.
i actually think its a bit close and personal for the staff too.

as for calling people aunts and uncles, we reserve that for close family and friends, i think its lovely that the boys know these people are trusted and if there is a problem, there is someone they can go to if me and russ are not available.

when my mom died, it was hard to go to my aunts (her sisters) as they looked like her, but going to her best friend, my aunty yvonne, was a little easier. and rich now calls them aunt and uncle and i think it gives us a special bond that i choose to have them called aunt and uncle.

I wouldnt really like it either tbh.

My mum once said 'ooh we are going to see Aunty ???? later' and I didnt even know this person... it was a friend of my mums. I told her straight that I dont want her calling people I dont know 'aunty/uncle' its just odd.

x

I dont like it to be honest i think it would confuse Callum.
Like ohs sisters bf normally gets called Uncle but i dont mind that pratically family x

Ok well I'm probably gonna sound odd here but it really wouldn't bother me in the slightest - I think it's quite cute really - kinda like Auntie Mable from 'come outside'

I was always taught to call my mum's friends Aunty as I was growing up and some of them I still do now. A few of my family are now divorced but if I bump into their ex's in the street I would still say 'hi anuty ****/hi uncle ****' etc - I was brought up calling them that and it's not my fault they got divorced

I refer to some of our friends as aunty/uncle to my kids and when they get birthday/xmas presents from our friends they will be signed from aunty/uncle etc - it never even occured to me that this is weird. Tbh I think it's an old fasioned mark of respect from kids to older friends of parents etc because my mum and dad have LOADS of aunts and uncles that aren't actually related to us through blood.

Also I think god parents should always be refered to as aunty/uncle.

Obviously at school age (4+) it would be weird but I think at nursery they are too young to understand sir/miss etc so aunty/uncle is just a way of teaching respect between children and adults IMO. I have a real dislike for school teachers that allow pupils to use their name rather than miss/mr smith etc so I would probably prefer it to start at a younger age so they don't get confused when they start school.

Obviously just my opinion and maybe I've had a bit of an old fasioned upbringing - who knows? but it really wouldn't bother me in the slightest, infact I would encourage it.

xx

FOr me personally I think it's weird. At school we had this religious group thing come every few months something to do with Africa and teaching about things that went on there and we were forced to call her aunty Diane. I hated it I was only 6ish but I knew she wasn't my aunt so why make me call her it.

I think Aunty/Uncle is a special thing for actual aunts and uncles, I'd be fuming if Amelia was forced to call someone other than blood relatives/partners aunt and uncle

This is an ongoing thing i dont know how to tell my mum. I have 2 sisters and a SIL and both girls have great aunts and they are obv Aunty X Y and Z etc. My best friend is c's godmother and also Aunty Georgia. And i have a close friend and her mum (both are my friends) who are Aunty Ali and Aunty Gemz as Gemmas son/Alis grandson Evan is the same age as C and has always been her 'fella'. But ive chosen those people to have that title. I wouldnt confer it on just anyone. My mum often has C and takes out out with her 2 closest friends sometimes and she refers to them as Aunty Angela and Aunty Maureen and it drives me bonkers cause i havent said its ok for C to call them that. But i dont know how to tell her without offending her so I tend to just emphasise their names without the Aunty when im there so I say oh you went out with angela today did you caelyn? She does seem to take the hint for a while then does it again later on down the line.

As for nursery workers that would make me uncomfortable too. They are profesionals in charge of a childs care and i dont deny they are special to them but like someone said they might be there a year or two tops. Why teach kids aunties come and go. The people I call Aunty for my kids are going to be there for them for a long time and thats what aunty means to me not a generic catch all title

Nursery assistants/carers being called Auntie so and so creeps me out. It should be kept for family not everybody!!

I used to work with a girl who did it with animals "snoopy go to your auntie steph" er what? I have never seen the dog in my life and it doesnt know what your saying anyway.

hannah calls my cousin auntie meg. shes 12 and hannah really looks up to her so I think thats why she does it. but megs little sis its just eilidh so she obv see's her as more of a friend.

nursery teachers would be a big no no!

I'm happy for the girls to call my close friends Auntie and not just family. For example one of my sisters has nothing to do with the girls (she's a biatch) and I would be more happy for the girls to call Mara 'Auntie Nonna', and my sister just by her name.

I dont think my sister has any right to be called auntie just cause she is my sister, I think this is a privilege and should be earned.

But as for calling nursery staff auntie...er no thank you

xx

I find that rather strange that they want calling auntie.

For me its the following:

My uncle was married to his wife for 21 years together before i was born and split 4 years ago.

Now to me she is still my aunt.

How ever if my uncle re-marries the new women would be my uncles wife not my aunt.

I think you're right about the nursery nurses being called auntie, thats just weird!! But I refer to my best friend as auntie jen to Harry but she sees him a lot!! I don't see anything wrong with that personally x