Dear Amy: I am part of a blended family, so I have “bonus” family members whom I love and have been very close to for more than 15 years.
The problem is, I am pregnant with my first child and have a name selected that I’ve always wanted for a child. I have been asked to choose another name because my unborn child’s nickname, which I intend to use, is the same nickname that my 4-year-old half-sister uses on a daily basis.
I have been told there is unwritten “baby name etiquette,” and that I shouldn’t use the same name if there are objections to it.
Am I wrong if I go ahead with my plans? — Confused
Dear Confused: Someone should write a book of “unwritten” rules of etiquette so that we all might see them.
In my experience, these unwritten rules generally encompass anything that inconveniences the person citing the alleged rule.
Think about it. If one person could prevent another from assigning a name to a child merely by objecting to it, there would be no one named Merle.
I don’t want to live in a world with no Merles.
I know of no such rule on baby-naming.
You are the baby’s mother. You will be addressing the child dozens of times a day.
If you have thought this through and don’t mind that your child will be sharing a name with her aunt, leading people to assume that you named her after her aunt, then by all means go for it.
Dear Amy: I am responding to the discussion of how to correct young children.
My kids know that “no” means “no.” Do they question it? Sure.
They also know I don’t rant on and on about something. It’s a waste of their time and mine. Mostly because everyone tunes it out.
If my kids ask “Why?” my first response is to ask them what they think the answer is. It makes them think, then we discuss their answer, if necessary.
By making them think, it also stops the negative behavior! — Mom of Two
Dear Mom: I like your practice of asking your kids to explain things to you. This encourages them to articulate things from your perspective — and, as we all know, kids who ask “Why?” often already know the answer.
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