My father married my stepmother, Nancy, when I was 20. At the time, she had two teenage children who I’ve always referred to as my stepsiblings. However, since we were older and never lived together, we were never particularly close, though we’ve always gotten along fine.
When I was 30 and had my first child, I asked Nancy what she wanted to be called by my son. She was clear that she didn’t want to be called any form of “grandmother.” She preferred to be addressed by her first name. Respecting her wishes, my three children, now young adults, have always seen her as “Gramps’s wife” rather than a grandmother figure. This was Nancy’s choice, and while everyone gets along fine, she’s never treated them as grandchildren.
Over the years, Nancy has occasionally mentioned how much she dreams of being a grandmother. Both of her children, my stepsiblings, are in committed, long-term relationships but have decided not to have kids.
I’m now 53 and remarried to a wonderful man with two adult children of his own. His oldest is getting married soon and is excited about having kids. During a Christmas gathering, we were chatting about grandparenting. I mentioned that I couldn’t wait to be a grandmother and talked with my stepdaughter about what she might want her kids to call their grandparents. In my family, we rarely use the “step” label—my kids see their stepsiblings as family, and I plan to treat all grandchildren the same, whether they’re biologically mine or not.
Later that day, I walked into a room where Nancy and my stepdaughter were chatting. I overheard Nancy saying how devastated she is that she’s never had grandchildren and how being a grandmother was always her dream. My stepdaughter, confused, asked, “Don’t you already have three?” Nancy responded, “No, they’re not mine, they’re my husband’s.”
At that point, I couldn’t hold back. I reminded Nancy, “They could have always been yours too, but you chose not to be their grandma.” Nancy didn’t say much, just a quiet, “I know, but it’s not the same.” I turned to my stepdaughter and assured her that for me, it is the same. She hugged me, and we left it at that.
The next day, my dad called to say I had hurt Nancy’s feelings. He suggested that if I wanted my kids to call her something like “grandma,” I should have brought it up sooner. I explained that it was never an issue for me—it was her choice. I simply pointed out that she could have embraced the role, but she chose not to, and it feels unfair that she now complains about not having grandchildren.
I hate that I hurt her feelings, but I wanted my stepdaughter to know that I don’t share Nancy’s perspective. My dad says Nancy feels I was rude for “calling her out,” but I think I was just being honest and defending the way things played out.
So, AITA? Should I have kept my thoughts to myself? Or was it fair to address the situation, given the context?