Unless you've been living under a rock, or are one of those people who only occupies yourself with smart, meaningful things, you've probably heard that Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi gave birth to a baby boy on Saturday. Baby fist pump! Leopard onesie! Other Jersey Shore joke! The pint-size reality star and her son are doing well, and they're currently enjoying an influx of well-wishes via Twitter (and, I presume, real life) from her fellow castmates.
One person to send Snooki some love is best pal, Jenni "JWoww" Farley. JWoww wrote to Snooki: "So proud of @snooki and @JLaValle! Lorenzo is the cutest baby I ever seen. Love him already." To which Snooki responded with: "Aw thank you auntie!"
And now we shall discuss having your kids refer to your friends as "aunt" and "uncle". Are you for it or against it?
Personally, I like it. I think it's a sweet gesture to good friends, cousins, or other people you have a close relationship with. It's a way of making them feel closer to your baby -- and vice versa when your baby gets bigger. I referred to a few of my parents' friends as "aunt" and "uncle" when I was younger -- and it made our relationship seem more special than it otherwise would have had I just called them by their first names.
However, everyone doesn't feel this way. I actually only learned this recently, but some people are against their kids calling non-blood relatives "aunt" or "uncle" -- and some aunts and uncles do not want anyone other than themselves being referred to as such. I sort of see where they're coming from -- they don't want anyone usurping the truly special relationship aunts and uncles have with their nieces and nephews, but ... is it? No one can really "top" them, can they? It's not a way of elbowing them out, in my opinion. It's just a way of spreading the love.
Do you let your kid refer to other people as "aunt" and "uncle"?
Image via ChicagoPhotoShop/Flickr
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Comments 24
I'm a firm believer that blood is NOT thicker than water. I have relatives that have burned my family more than once in the past who I never see and don't particularly care about - there's just no relationship there. On the other hand I have friends and my parents had friends who were as good to me and my kids as any related Aunt, Uncle or Grandparent. I've had a lot of extra Nana's and Pop's in my life and a few extra Aunts and Uncles - it's a nice way of saying that the person is a little closer to you than a Mr or Mrs would be without having your kids use adults first names. But those who want to keep the title to themselves need to remember it's not the name that defines your relationship it's your actions.
Family is created, not necessarily by blood, but always by Love. I am called Aunt by almost all children I know. We have a special bond that never goes away. I have a few friends of my parents that I grew up calling Aunt and Uncle, and some aunts and uncles I never called anything but their first names. My best friends son's fathers sister (never called aunt) literally phsyically attacked me one day in person, after only attacking me online, because I refered to Jack as my nephew. She has not been allowed to see him since. So because she was a Majoy B**** she missed out of 5 amazing years of his life.
My best friends Kids even call my biological Niece and nephew their brother/sister. They are all family.
My mother's cousin was always my ''aunt'', and she was a damn sight better than my mother's actual sister, so i'm all for it. As Aunt_ning said, family is created by love. And now your username makes SO. MUCH. SENSE!!!
Sometiimes you have a tighter bond with friends, and kids end up being nieces and nephews. I think it is great, specially if your family is far away. Of course it would be your closest friends, not just an aquaintance that your kids would call aunt or uncle.
My parents belonged to a catholic families group as we were growing up and the friendships developed are still string to this day, have lots of aunts an uncles!!!
My Best friend Ina is called Aunt Ina or Auntie by my kids. It's one thing if you've only known the person a year but in my case Ina and I have been best buds going on 7 years. It's an odd friendship because she's twice my age but oh well lol