01 December 2023 , 15:08
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A mum has been met with "eye rolls" after telling people her five-year-old daughter decided to change her own name, and she let her.
Kids change their minds and go through different phases every day. One minute they want to be a pirate, the next a princess. One day they call their toy doll one name, and the next day it is called something else. They change their mind about food, clothing, everything. But, would you agree to your child changing their name?
One mum, who wishes to remain unnamed, says she and her partner have allowed their daughter - who was originally called Emma - to change her given name and says the new name, which she has not revealed, "suits her". "We had no problem using this new name, we feel like she has the right to be called what she wants," the mum anonymously wrote on Reddit. But, the name change has caused an uproar among the couple's wider family.
She admits that after the initial shock wore off, most of their family was on board, except for her brother's wife. Last week the family, from the US, celebrated Thanksgiving dinner with the dad's brother, their sister-in-law, and his five-year-old niece. The couple's sister-in-law told her own daughter that Emma's new name is "not real yet".
The mum explained: "Completely unprompted, she pulled her daughter into the middle of the room where we all were and starts going off about how she better not get any ideas. 'Five is too young to make that kind of choice'. Every time someone would address my daughter using her chosen name, my sister-in-law would roll her eyes and mutter my daughter's given name."
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The Reddit user added: "I really didn't expect this reaction and I feel like it's a little extreme. She's five, she'll probably eventually go back to her old name, and I don't see the point in pushing the issue and making it a big deal." The mum said she does not see how her child's name change is any different to a nickname.
A five-year-old's auntie refused to call her by her new name (Getty Images/iStockphoto)Speaking about reactions from the couple's friends, she continued: "I've talked to some friends about the incident and they've said that while they're not upset that we let her go by a new name, they personally wouldn't let a child do so until they're an adult. I would've never expected anyone to take issue with a simple non-legal name change, and this whole thing has me thinking if our reaction was odd or uncommon."
A number of Reddit users rushed to share their thoughts on the dilemma and the majority agreed with the annoyed parent. One individual said: "I can understand a parent being hesitant about their child wanting to be called a different name. The names I chose for my children are sentimental to me and I am glad they all like their names. But if my child decided to use a different name I would use their name. It is basically a nickname and it is what they want to be called."
Another added: "My kids' names were chosen for nickname flexibility." A third said: "My 5-year-old bounces back and forth between his full name and a shortened version of it. We call him whatever he prefers at the time. He is not hesitant to correct us. Daily sometimes."
One commented: "I wanted to change my name all the time when I was a kid. I feel it's a phase and or right of passage. It's normal and not that uncommon," while another added: "I picked my kids name but if they wanna change it or be called something else that would be cool," and a third noted: "You won’t regret respecting your child."
Do you agree with letting children change their names? Share your thoughts in the comments below.