“It’s not being a grandfather that bothers me. It’s the idea that every night I sleep with somebody’s grandmother.”
That was my dad’s favorite line. He would say it every time he saw my kids. Sadly, he passed away before he got to say it very often.
I waited 64 years to be a grandfather. It finally happened on August 7th, 2015. But my beautiful little granddaughter was barely in my arms for the first time when I got the instruction from my daughter:
“Dad, you need to have a nickname.”
“A nickname? What do you mean?”
“You know….a grampa name!”
Now, this is a tradition that seems to be uniquely Southern. I spent the first 27 years of my life in Wisconsin, and I swear I don’t remember grampas having grampa names up there. I know I didn’t have one for my grampas. I called them grampa.
But there was no room for negotiation on this. My daughter insisted. She suggested a few examples: “How about paw-paw? Or pee-paw?”
Really? Is this what grandfatherhood has come to? I have to be known to my grandchild as something that sounds like a gastrointestinal problem? Pee-paw? Pee-poo? Pee-pee?
No, I would come up with something better, classier. I suggested things like Stud Muffin, Gray Fox, The Grampinator. All were rejected by my daughter almost before they came out of my mouth. Probably for the best in retrospect.
I agonized over this for weeks. After all, this is how my grandchild would identify me for life! My life and hers! Sixty years from now I don’t want her bouncing her own grandchildren on her knee and telling amusing stories about her “Poo-pop”.
So after much consideration and wretching of hands, I decided on K-Pa, borrowing from the first letter of my first name. K-Pa…..it felt unique, distinctive, not totally embarrassing, and didn’t seem to include any bathroom function. My daughter liked it, and so it is. I am forever K-Pa. Never mind that my granddaughter won’t be able to pronounce it until she’s about six. It’s my grampa name. I’m okay with it.
I know there are more grampa names out there, and I would love to read your favorites. Also your least favorites. So click on the comments link and post them.
And for those of you yet to become a grandparent, you might want to start thinking about this now……. lest you go down in eternity as a stomach disorder.
We are just plain ole “Grandmother” and “Granddaddy”. The other set of grandparents got the dumb names 🙂
Wish I could have gotten away with that.(By the way, I hope the other grandparents don’t read your post!)
Fred is called GrandFred by the grandchildren. Seems to fit.
I love that one!
My older grandchildren call me by my first name. But the younger ones, I’m Gramps. My wife said sometimes it should be Grumps. But I like Gramps.
Simple and effective. 🙂
Jim is Papa Jim. Sounds sweet when the grands call him.
Gets to use his whole first name. Lucky.
My husband is Poppy, which I love. My favorite uncle was Peetie Pie because his granddaughter was trying to call him Sweetie Pie like he called her. Peetie Pie stuck.
Very cute but I think I would want her to stop calling me Peetie Pie when she grew up.
My first born couldn’t pronounce Grand-daddy (my father in law’s preference) or Grandpa (my dad’s pick)…they came out of her mouth as “Dandy” and “Dedah” respectively….so they are my faves forever now!
I’d say they came out okay. 🙂
Dianne and I were asked by our son over the phone , Dianne could hear daughter in law in the background saying “Ask Her! Ask Her!”. So we were asked and apparently for the first time in my life I have gone AGAINST Southern tradition since we requested simply “how about Grand Mama and Grand Daddy?”. Our NJ Daughter in Law was thrilled even though her parents have the “grandpa, grandma” type names. We are comfortable with our names and love to hear them in a “Norris Family” goodnight! “Goodnight Grand Daddy, Goodnight Grand Mama! Goodnight Grandkids! We love you.”
I am “Mimi” to my two grandsons! They actually both call me that! Their Canadian grandparents are “Oma” and “Opa”!
Like it.
Works for me too.
The “pee poo” line owned me! Thanks for starting my day with a big laugh!
Thanks for reading Lisa.
Jokingly my husband said, “Call me Dude.” Well, it stuck! I’m Yaya and he’s Dude.
I really like both of those!
My husband’s grandparents had the most interesting names. Hers was Bluie (she always wore a blue dress) and his was Day Boy ( not sure why). The other grandmother was called Other Mamma. I grew up in MI where all my friends called theirs grandma and grandpa.
Very original. I like that.