He has a name, dammit!!

[Bob Slydell]

My family (both sides) have really rubbed me the wrong way lately, most of it involving my youngest son. It just seems like he keeps getting red-headed stepchild treatment from everyone

Today was a prime example...

I got a call from my MIL who decided that my oldest son needs a haircut (translation: when she saw him his hair was messy ), so she made him an appointment this afternoon and was picking him up from summer camp to take him. No big deal, she's usually the one who takes him for haircuts and she's picked him up from school in the past to take him.

It was after this part of the conversation when she ticked me off. She told me that after the haircut, she would swing by the school and pick up "the other one" on her way to our house.

"The other one"??? Ummmm, Ryan has a name?

My mom hasn't been any better lately -- she's taken to calling Ryan "grandchild #3" (I have a nephew in between our two boys). Everyone else gets called by name, only Ryan gets labeled with a number.

I know people like MIL and my mom don't mean anything when they say things like this, but it just drives me when they do this stuff.

 

[Pop Daddy]

I know what you mean, when I was a kid, being around all my relitives I thought my name was ****head

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Can you number the various parents and refer to them by a number? Maybe refer to whoever is your least favorite at the time by #2...

How very rude of them. I know that my mom didn't really like the name of one of my sons and tried to call him by his middle name. That didn't last long and she got over herself, thankfully.

 

[AllyandJack]

I could understand "the baby", but "the other one"? No. That's just wrong. Call her "MIL #1" or "that woman over there" and see how she likes it.

 

[phorsenuf]

I know what you mean, when I was a kid, being around all my relitives I thought my name was ****head

They named you after a DOG???? LOL

 

[CinderellaIam]

I know what you mean. My parents have 8 grandchildren and I honestly think that they forget all of their names. They refer to my 20 yr old DD as the baby. As in "how's the baby"? I turn it around to them, "baby, what baby, someone have a baby I don't know about"? This usually gets them to use her name. Maybe you can try this with them and it will stick? When they say the other one, you might try "the other what"? You know, play it stupid...maybe they'll get the hint.

Oh, I should also mention that my parents refer to my step son, who until two years ago lived with his mom but now lives with us as "the boy".

I swear the next time I call their house I'm going to ask "so how's the old man/woman today"?!! lol

 

[Cool-Beans]

When "Mambo #5" came out, I called the kids "Munchkin #2" or 1 or 3 or 4. I thought it was funny, the rest of the family thought I was off my rocker.

Wait, this is about MIL. Bad MIL! Bad, bad!

 

[Laurajean1014]

I know what you mean, when I was a kid, being around all my relitives I thought my name was ****head

I thought your name was that too!

Only kidding - where would we be without our PD.

 

[Maleficent13]

I like the idea of numbering the grandparents...just refer to them as 2,3,4 and 5 (have to skip 1, of course, as you don't want that to be constued as a compliment )

Seriously, though, it's just rude and I totally understand your frustration.

 

[Laurajean1014]

You know you have to say something or at least, give a subtle hint.

"Yes, RYAN is a special boy" or "R-Y-A-N, we named him that so morons would remember it." Okay, that last one was kind of harsh!

 

[Bob Slydell]

I like the idea of numbering the grandparents...just refer to them as 2,3,4 and 5 (have to skip 1, of course, as you don't want that to be constued as a compliment )

Nah, #1 would be my FIL (who unfortunately passed away a few years ago). He always had a way of making every person feel equally special.

When they say the other one, you might try "the other what"?

I should have responded with that comeback -- as it turned out, it wasn't until after I got off the phone with her that it sunk in that she actually said that.

 

[cardaway]

Ryan huh? I didn't know that. Been thinking in my head 'the younger one in the sig pictures'. Ryan is so much shorter.

 

[lowie]

RYAN there is something about a first born boy.. dunno what it is but it's there and there isn't much you can do to change it.. in my family, my mom favors my daughter over all, but my MIL favors my son (her only biological grandchild and there will be no more). the thing is that my mom doesn't really show a preference when the kids are around but my MIL does show her preference and then wonders why my dd wants nothing to do with her.

 

[Linda/MA]

My MIL does it all the time. She would refer to one of my daughters as "the little girl" or when her grandson got married, she would call his wife "the new bride." Of course, she always call her grandsons by name, but not the girls. Weird.

 

[NMAmy]

Ah, well, I'm 43 years old and my mother still calls me Pam. Even though my name is Amy. Pam is "the other one." It used to annoy the heck out of my father but I'm so used to it that I just answer it to Pam.

I like the idea of saying "the other WHAT?" next time she says this.

And how in the world could anyone forget that cutie patootie's name?

 

[Cass]

DD12 just came by my desk and said

'ohhhhh ohhhh someones in trouble ~ they said dammit on the DIS board'

 

[Bob Slydell]

Ryan huh? I didn't know that. Been thinking in my head 'the younger one in the sig pictures'. Ryan is so much shorter.

Easier to say in your head, isn't it?

 

[diznygirl]

Been there - but it's my youngest that gets the special treatment - she's a girl and so they treat her special - she can do no wrong. "The Boy" gets blamed for her tantrums!

Luckily, I don't live near them!

 

[alabamaalan]

Start referring to anyone who does that by size instead.

We're going to see grandma - the bigger one

I can't stand hearing people refer to a baby as "it" when they know the sex of the child.

 

[disneymom3]

I could understand "the baby", but "the other one"? No. That's just wrong. Call her "MIL #1" or "that woman over there" and see how she likes it.

My nephew--who to his credit was only about 6 at the time--used to refer to our BIL (not his dad )as "that tall guy that lives with Aunt Paula." Good thing Mike has a sense of humor!!