What do you call your MIL/FIL???

[LisaNJ25]

I dont My inlaws live a few thousand miles away and I have only seen them twice. Also they dont speak english and I dont speak spanish.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I call them by their first names. Took me awhile to figure out what to call them and I used to avoid calling them anything, which was kind of awkward.

 

[crz4mm2]

By their first names. They never specified one way or the other and Mom and Dad just didn't seem right (since I already had a mom and dad...) so I just always used their first names. Works for us.
And we DO get along very well

 

[KarenAylwood]

Not a MIL yet but hopefully will be sometime soon

I call DBF's mom by her first name... have never met his dad but when I meet him in May I won't be calling him anything (I'll be too focused on not using a profanity). If it's a situation where I MUST- it will be Mr. xxxx.

My DBF still calls my mom and dad Mr. & Mrs. My mom approached me the last time he was home with me that she wishes he would just call her by her first name because it makes her feel uncomfortable. He understood and was just uncomfortable with what to say.

I'm just so used to calling parents Mr. and Mrs. It took me at least two years to get used to calling DBF's mom by her first name.

DBF's BIL calls her "mom" though... I don't know if I'll ever be able to call anyone else mom... but I don't really want to either!

 

[caitycaity]

it feels very awkward to me to call them mom/dad, so i call them by their first names.

i think they were disappointed when i chose not to call them mom and dad.

 

[anewvance]

My grandma and I were just talking about this yesterday. I was filling out Christmas cards and I always feel weird with what to put on their cards. It's from all of us so is it their first names (which I call them) or mom and dad or gram and boompa? I ended up putting gram and boompa which is how I refer to them in front of the kids anyway.

 

[debloco]

Nothing if I can help it, which works most of the time. Mom and Dad if I have to, but only because that's what they expect and they never let any other option be acceptable.
I've always disliked it, the only people who I want to call Mom and Dad are my Mom and Dad.

My DH, OTOH, calls my parents by their first names.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

Since the kids were born I now call them Grandma and Grandpa.

That's what works for me, too. Thye wanted me to call them Mom and Dad, but that just didn't work for me.

 

[Linnie The Pooh]

I call mine by their first names. I can't call anyone else, but my parents mom & dad. DH calls his in-laws by their first names too. And btw, he's very lucky to have such great in-laws!!

When DH's brother got married, we were opening Christmas gifts and his new wife read the package tag, "To Sue from Henry & Ann" and then she said, "Oh, I mean Mom and Dad." There was this horribly awkward silence for a few seconds. I felt bad for her. She's never called them that since. It was clear they didn't like it!!

 

[Alice28]

By her first name; my DH does the same to my parents.

 

[Forevryoung]

I'm not married but I wanted to add something (because it's super awesome)-

My Dad's father passed away before my parents got engaged. When my parents got married, my dad called my mom's parents Mom and Dad.

My Popop (mom's father) passed away last month and my dad realized that he had known his FIL longer than he had known his own dad and was closer to him than he was his biological father.

Popop considered my dad a son too- while looking at old pictures that were taken about a year after my parents got married Popop wrote "Son-by-marriage" instead of SIL on the caption.

 

[eeyore kelly]

By their first names. Never by Mom and Dad. Those titles are reserved for my own parents.

 

[Mandabella]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't know what to call them....so I just start speaking to them. It's been over 5 years now... We joke about it once in awhile.

Mom doesn't feel right, because only one woman deserves that name from me....my mom!

First names don't feel right either, nor does Mrs. XXX....especially since my mom keeps reminding me I'm Mrs. XXX now too...and it's too formal.

It's easier when the grandkids are around cause then I can just refer to her as MeMa.

 

[MsLeFever]

Having kids made this easy! I call them Pap and Mim just like my kids do. Occasionally by their first names as well.

 

[nativetxn]

I used to call my FIL "George" which was his name. He died in 1996 and I miss him dreadfully.

I started off calling MIL, Mrs. Johnson. Then I went to "Lillian", that just wasn't comfortable. Now that my own mother has passed away, I call my MIL "Momma". It just works.

Katholyn

 

[dck12ga]

This is kind of a sad thread!! I am sorry some of you do not get along with the in-laws (out-laws!) I call my in-laws mom and dad! They are my husbands mom and dad, and I love them dearly!!! For me, it is a sign of respect to call them mom and dad! DH calls my mom and dad 'mom and dad!" It would be weird to call them Richard and Patty! It just doesn't flow off of the tongue! I guess I am one of the few lucky ones that get along with the in-laws! What ever works for you!!! Have a wonderful day!!

 

[phisigprincess]

I call my MIL mom and my FIL by his first name (really because FI calls him by his first name and not Dad most of the time anyway. They obviously have a strained relationship.)

 

[mommystieg]

To be honost, they would probably prefer I call them Mom and Dad, but it just feels weird to me.

I call them by their first names usually, but that feels wierd too, so I usually try to work it out so I don't have to say their name at all.

This is sooo true!! My FIL even told me that he wanted me to think of him as "Dad" but it just seems weird. Since we had a baby soon after we married I have always referred to them as Grandma and Grandpa.

 

[Shugardrawers]

Usually Dolores, sometimes Mum. As in "Dolores, would you like a cup of tea?" and "Oh, MUM, what a faboo gift!!!"

 

[cats7494]

I call them by their first names...I already have a Mom and Dad
My dh calls my parents by their first names too...we all get along great just prefer to keep it with first names. It would feel really odd to call dh's parents mom and dad!