This letter hinges on two enormous problems, and the columnist doesn't address either of them.
1. We don't even know if there's a problem to fix. For all we know, LW's Step-MIL does not care at all what the kid calls her. LW has not made any attempt to verify this belief that because LW thinks they might find it hurtful, SMIL will feel the same way. Heck, for all we know SMIL would prefer that all the grandkids and step-grandkids call her by her first name and just hasn't figure out how to say that to people.
2. And if SMIL does find it hurtful then the proper person for her to address that matter to is her stepson, LW's husband. Not only is this not a problem, but it is absolutely positively 100% not LW's problem to fix. LW should not be delicately explaining anything to anybody, because that is not their job. LW's job is to let other people manage their feelings and their relationships.
3. I used gender neutral pronouns here, but I would really be shocked if LW is not a woman.
no subject
1. We don't even know if there's a problem to fix. For all we know, LW's Step-MIL does not care at all what the kid calls her. LW has not made any attempt to verify this belief that because LW thinks they might find it hurtful, SMIL will feel the same way. Heck, for all we know SMIL would prefer that all the grandkids and step-grandkids call her by her first name and just hasn't figure out how to say that to people.
2. And if SMIL does find it hurtful then the proper person for her to address that matter to is her stepson, LW's husband. Not only is this not a problem, but it is absolutely positively 100% not LW's problem to fix. LW should not be delicately explaining anything to anybody, because that is not their job. LW's job is to let other people manage their feelings and their relationships.
3. I used gender neutral pronouns here, but I would really be shocked if LW is not a woman.