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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.
I think it depends on the relationship. I have one first cousin on my Fathers side whom is in my age bracket that i'm close with, and quite a few 2nd and third cousins on my father side whom were all significantly older than me that I considered Aunts and Uncles. I have several younger 2nd and third cousins that I am close to and took on the older wiser come to me for anything role, just as those who did for me when I was growing up.
On the flip side I have Aunts, my Mother sisters and a bunch of first and second cousins on my Mothers side that I never met and could care less about them. They are not quite strangers as I have had brief conversations with them on the phone and mail correspondence over the years that ended when my Grand Father died 15 years ago, but they mean very little to me aside from the fact we are blood related.
Folks, your first cousin's children are NOT your second cousins.
Someone upthread posted a helpful link. But I would guess that most people didn't click it. So here's a small portion of the table featured in that link:
The whole once removed thing is way too complicated. And when you're a little kid, that stuff is so over the top and makes no sense. Calling them second cousins is just easier. At the end of the day, who cares?
Can someone please explain to me this "cousins removed" thing lol Ive never understood it.
The "removed" term refers to the number of generations separated you are. Your first cousin's children are "first cousins once removed" because they are one generation away from your generation. That would mean that your first cousin's grandchildren are your first cousins twice removed (they are two generations away from yours)
Now to explain the "second cousin" thing (you didn't ask, but throwing it in) ... that's the second generation from the shared grandparents; the children of the first cousins.
The whole once removed thing is way too complicated. And when you're a little kid, that stuff is so over the top and makes no sense. Calling them second cousins is just easier. At the end of the day, who cares?
It's really not too complicated. And calling them second cousins might be easier, but it's incorrect.
Anyone interested in genealogy and ancestry cares.
It's really not too complicated. And calling them second cousins might be easier, but it's incorrect.
Anyone interested in genealogy and ancestry cares.
Yeah it is complicated. Great you understand it. Many people don't and children certainly don't!
Since when are you the family name title police? I have had cousins and friends' children call me "aunt" and technically that's incorrect yet with some magical force the world didn't end and they all made it to adulthood. I am interested in genealogy and I don't get all wrapped up in that removed nonsense. Neither does my husband and he's obsessed with genealogy.
Really - you know every culture in the world and how they perceive relationships. The thread wasn't about actual relationships, it was asking people what they considered the relationship. My cousins kids call me aunt and this is the way it is in my culture (Indian).
Growing up, my best friend was Indian. She once said she wasn't even sure who was a real aunt/uncle/cousin, there were so many.
My cousins treat my kids like nephews too.
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