What do you consider your cousins' kids? (siblings, children, brother)

[Mini-apple-less]

Do you think of them as being more like cousins, nieces/nephews or just "distant relations"? I have two younger first cousins-once removed on my dad's side and I think of myself as being like an uncle to them because I'm 16-18 years older than they are however at the same time I know my relationship with them perhaps isn't as "special" as if/whenever my own siblings have kids. They're actually the only small kids in my family aside from some other cousins' kids on my mom's side, most of whom I've never met and have barely seen their parents in the past 17 years.

[brokensky]

I think of them as cousins once removed, as that is what they are, lol.

If you mean - do you interact with them more like an aunt or uncle . . . ?

Let the relationship define itself . . . if you would like to interact like a big brother or an uncle, then go with it!

[Miss Hepburn]

Complete strangers.

[coffee18]

In my culture cousins' kids are thought of as nieces and nephews and they address us as aunt/uncle. I've got millions of them though, and some I'm close to and some I'm not. I do have a much closer bond with my siblings' children.

[Tuck's Dad]

A handy chart for figuring out shirt tail relatives and what to call them:

"Second Cousins," "Once Removed", and More Explained in Chart Form

[Mini-apple-less]

Originally Posted by coffee18

In my culture cousins' kids are thought of as nieces and nephews and they address us as aunt/uncle. I've got millions of them though, and some I'm close to and some I'm not. I do have a much closer bond with my siblings' children.

Would you say this is generally the case in your culture or do some people not see any difference between a sibling and a cousin's kid?

[JerZ]

I think of them, and call them, my second cousins.

They must wonder how they can all possibly be second.

[thinkalot]

Why are some of you confusing the kids? They are not nieces and nephews, in any culture. They are not second cousins. They are your cousins children or your parents cousins. That is what they are and will ever be. Anything else sounds stupid. I hope some of you people stay away from genealogy.

Proximity will do much to determine your relationship. My generation from youngest to oldest covers 30 years. I went to school with cousins and children of my cousins. I was closer to my cousins son than my cousins because we lived near each other.

[apexgds]

Originally Posted by JerZ

I think of them, and call them, my second cousins.

They must wonder how they can all possibly be second.

They aren't your second cousins though. The children of your first cousins are your 'first cousins once removed'.

Your children and the children of your first cousin would be second cousins (the second generation from the common grandparents)

[apexgds]

Originally Posted by thinkalot

Why are some of you confusing the kids? They are not nieces and nephews, in any culture.

That's not totally true. They may technically be "first cousins, once removed," but culturally they are often treated as (and expected to behave as) nieces and nephews. Probably because they are the same generation as true nieces and nephews (i.e. my sister's children and my first cousin's children are the same generation)

The children of my first cousins have always called me Auntie. Others in my culture do the same. It's just the generally accepted practice.