Am ok to call or not call anyone as uncle / aunty. But it feels like the whole world is calling us aunty n uncle but we can't call anyone else that. That's why this question.. How is it that we (people in 20s / 30s / 40s) can only call 80 year olds as aunty / uncle (because if you call a 70 / 80 as grandpa / grandma, they get offended ) ? The same people who are in their 40s / 50s / 60s stops people in 20s / 30s to call them as aunty / uncle, when there's an easy age difference of 10/ 20 / 30. But makes their kids call us aunty n uncle , who are only 10 / 15 years younger (some even lesser) than us.
Aunty is an offensive word . Better avoid it all together . If someone forbids you from calling them aunty but their kids do call you , then speak to them directly it's not acceptable .
I have always corrected people to call me by my married name, first name or Ma’am. Having being brought up in the West, my nephews and nieces call me aunt. In India people around my age will address me as Aunty. I correct them and say I am not related to you. My neighbours who are perhaps 8/10 yrs younger than me have been corrected umpteen times to call me by my married name or first name. Overseas my children’s friends either call me by Mrs so n so or even by my first name. It’s all about education.
Totally agree. Aunty is a word used for a relationship.... it belittling that relationship if it is used as a ‘blanket’ word to address anyone who one is unsure of how to address. Hey, one can use the word MAM.
i think we are just going thru a transition phase hence all the confusion. We like the western way of being called by name instead of labeling a relationship. But we haven't transitioned & like another poster said, we are a culture who becomes bbf after one conversation. After never been called aunty until I got married. Then the waves came in and I was soo uncomfortable. Now I am ok with it. Especially considering my SIL is 2 years older than me and has a 16 year old boy. Just because I got married in late 20's doesn't mean teenagers can't call me aunty. The weirdest was my husbands nephew who is a year younger than my husband call me aunty. But that is a legit relationship, he is our own nephew even if he is older than me and only 1 year younger than hubby
Lady takes objection to being called 'aunty' since she is unmarried. "I am just engaged. How dare you call me aunty so openly in a market place?" she asks!
I may have mentioned it earlier.... These days, I don't talk to little kids any more....last Maha Shivaratri, we were standing in a long line to get prasad after pooja. I asked the cute little girl next me, 'what's her name'....her dad said, 'say hi to nana'. This man was in his late 30's! I guess, I am in my danger zone!! Happy to be auntie than nana!
I am being in this situation too . my mom 48 years was called aunty by a person(she is 40) , reason being now my mom got a grandkid(my kid).
Haha.. going by the concept if someone is single even when 50/60, one should not call anything beyond a sister or a brother, they aren't married rite ?