Calling family by first name

Vent?? Annoyance?? Idk. I am tired of family getting on my 3yo though.

DS calls his uncles just by their first name, no uncle attached. They get really upset. I've started correcting him because they get so mad but I really don't see whats wrong with it. Its not even like the word uncle is a term of respect. His father flips with DS calls me by my first name, I'm ok with, because that's MY NAME. I don't understand who came along and decided it was disrespect if we didn't call family by things other than who they actually are. That makes no sense.

Also, to me, its strange and annoying to call people Mr. John or Mrs. Emily. Its Mr. Johnson or Mrs. Carney. I would never tell my child to call some One Mrs. First name. I spent a spent a short time looking that up and its improper, and to me that is more disrespectful (meaning you wouldn't talk to your elders using ain't or whats up things like that) than saying Judy, here is your son's basket ball. But Mrs (Judy) Mayer would be best obviously. I don't say anything to kids who don't live with me or anything but kids who frequent my house or stay with me I will tell them not to call me Mrs. First Name. My first name, or Mrs. Last name.

Is it a big deal in your family to call Uncle Joe, just plain joe ect??
What about mom/dad term?
Why or why not?

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Asked by GirlWithANikon at 5:18 PM on Feb. 13, 2012 in General Parenting

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we call Mom/Dad by that.
i honestly never wondered what/why my nieces/nephews call me by my name. its never bothered me that they don't call me 'aunt lisa'..its not a big deal. i've heard them refer to me that way, when speaking to others.
but really, its not a big deal.

Answer by dullscissors at 5:23 PM on Feb. 13, 2012
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My children and grandchildren use the designations. It is a term of respect and relationship (kinship).
I do not allow other people's children to call me by my first name. I have lived a long time and have earned the title Mrs........

Answer by Dardenella at 5:23 PM on Feb. 13, 2012
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I personally think it's a term of respect to use terms, ESPECIALLY calling elders Mrs./Mr., unless they insist that the child call them by their first name, or if they introduce themselves by their first names. I would feel disrepected if my child called me by my first name, even if it is my first name. Using terms like Mom, Dad, Aunt, Uncle, etc. sets a notion of authority and respect for those older and wiser than you. However, if an aunt/uncle or even a mother/father is nonexistant in a child's life growing up then I don't think they need the respect of holding that title.

Answer by maecntpntz219 at 5:23 PM on Feb. 13, 2012
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Eh. in our family it is not a big deal to call aunts and uncles by there fist names. I don't know why... it just has always been that way. My kids of course call us mom and dad and the grand parents have 'names' also.

Answer by But_Mommie at 5:24 PM on Feb. 13, 2012
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We were actually asked by DH's sisters to not have our children called them Aunt ______. They are fine with first names, so that's that. Their kids are older (the youngest of our nieces/nephews is 20) and I've never had a problem with them calling me by my first name. And it's also part of their culture to call adults by the first name if you know it, even teachers.

Our kids always call us by Imma or Abba which is the Hebrew for mom/dad. They all went through a very short phase of calling their father by his first name, Bob, but that is so close to Abba that we never corrected them and they went back to Abba on their own.

Answer by balagan_imma at 5:25 PM on Feb. 13, 2012
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The way I was raised, and the way I raised my children was that you never ever addressed an adult, non family member by their first name. Ever. It is always "Mrs. Surname" Even if the adult tells the child that they can call them by their first name, it's a no no for me.

Family wise, we don't use Aunt or Uncle but that may be a regional thing. No one in my home town, that I can recall, used those identifiers but here in Minnesota everyone does.

Answer by BrawnwynII at 5:26 PM on Feb. 13, 2012
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I don't see it as an issue at all. I guess I find it surprising that anyone over 12 years old would call anyone "Aunt _____" or "Uncle _____."

Answer by SWasson at 5:29 PM on Feb. 13, 2012
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Ive always been more cued to the tone of voice than to the actual words. If they are addressing me with a respectful tone, i really dont care what my kids or neices nephews, kids' friends ect call me. Of course, a dirty four letter word would get my attention real fast, but beside that, they can call me by my first name, or mom, Aunt _____, or a nickname. My first name can have a lot of variations to it so I answer to almost anything!!! LOL I think respect is in your attiude and tone more than the actual words

Answer by Nimue930 at 5:42 PM on Feb. 13, 2012
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Maybe it a family thing. In our family, we always call our aunts and uncles "Uncle Dave" or "Aunt Mary". It is a term of respect to me. Even my 60 year old mother calls her 83 year old aunts and uncles "Aunt Jane" or "Uncle Jack".

Answer by layh41407 at 5:47 PM on Feb. 13, 2012
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Oh, and you bet I am Mom. I earned that title.

Answer by layh41407 at 5:47 PM on Feb. 13, 2012
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