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Can I Make My Family Accept My Baby's Name?
Filed under: Relatives, Baby Names, Expert Advice: Pregnancy
My husband and I are expecting a boy this November. Before we conceived him, we both fell in love with the name Bodhi. Now that we have informed our families of his name, everyone on both sides have expressed their distaste. How do we politely tell our family that we will not be caving on our son's name?
- Bodhi's Mom-to-Be
Congratulations on taking this rejection so well. It's easy for hard feelings to grow when your joyous name announcement is met with grimaces.I'll leave aside the question of whether your families' objections should matter. Readers, I urge you to put that -- and your opinions of the name -- aside, too. The naming decision has already been made. The project at hand is to prevent an extended-family meltdown.
Mom-to-Be, you've already taken the first positive step. You've decided to care about your family's feelings, rather than taking offense and telling them to shove it. That's a smart move. First off, telling your mother-in-law to shove it is always dicey. But more to the point, you don't want the name Bodhi to be linked to bad memories, or to become a symbol of family tension. You want to build a foundation of warm feelings for your son's name. Here's a four-step plan.
1. Help friends and family understand what you love about the name
Acknowledge that the name is unfamiliar, but stay positive. Let your enthusiasm be contagious. Share the story of how you fell for Bodhi. Combat the unfamiliarity factor by sending around web links with info about the name: meanings, history, celebrity Bodhis (like Goldie Hawn's grandson -- good grandparent company!), even a Google image search for "baby Bodhi." Seeing the name out in the world should help it seem less outlandish to your family.
2. Ask your relatives to share their own tales of choosing names.
This is a way of continuing the naming conversation without actually putting the name up for debate. Perhaps the chance to remember their own naming adventures will help them empathize with you. Better yet, rehearsing their experience of falling in love with a perfect name should open some warm feelings toward the whole process.
3. Start using the name, early and often
If they get to hear Bodhi hundreds of times before your son is even born, their outrage should run its course. They may even find themselves grudgingly attached to the name.
And if all else fails,
4. Let go.
You've picked a name you and your husband love. You've approached your family politely and tried to help them understand why you love the name and given them reasons to love it, too. That's really all you can do. So just accept their opinions, and trust that when they meet a real live tiny Bodhi with mom's eyes, dad's hair and the world's cutest toes, naming conflicts suddenly won't seem so important any more.
What did people think of your name choices? Share your experiences here. And if you have your own question to Ask the Name Lady, drop her a line!
- Bodhi's Mom-to-Be
Congratulations on taking this rejection so well. It's easy for hard feelings to grow when your joyous name announcement is met with grimaces.I'll leave aside the question of whether your families' objections should matter. Readers, I urge you to put that -- and your opinions of the name -- aside, too. The naming decision has already been made. The project at hand is to prevent an extended-family meltdown.
Mom-to-Be, you've already taken the first positive step. You've decided to care about your family's feelings, rather than taking offense and telling them to shove it. That's a smart move. First off, telling your mother-in-law to shove it is always dicey. But more to the point, you don't want the name Bodhi to be linked to bad memories, or to become a symbol of family tension. You want to build a foundation of warm feelings for your son's name. Here's a four-step plan.
1. Help friends and family understand what you love about the name
Acknowledge that the name is unfamiliar, but stay positive. Let your enthusiasm be contagious. Share the story of how you fell for Bodhi. Combat the unfamiliarity factor by sending around web links with info about the name: meanings, history, celebrity Bodhis (like Goldie Hawn's grandson -- good grandparent company!), even a Google image search for "baby Bodhi." Seeing the name out in the world should help it seem less outlandish to your family.
2. Ask your relatives to share their own tales of choosing names.
This is a way of continuing the naming conversation without actually putting the name up for debate. Perhaps the chance to remember their own naming adventures will help them empathize with you. Better yet, rehearsing their experience of falling in love with a perfect name should open some warm feelings toward the whole process.
3. Start using the name, early and often
If they get to hear Bodhi hundreds of times before your son is even born, their outrage should run its course. They may even find themselves grudgingly attached to the name.
And if all else fails,
4. Let go.
You've picked a name you and your husband love. You've approached your family politely and tried to help them understand why you love the name and given them reasons to love it, too. That's really all you can do. So just accept their opinions, and trust that when they meet a real live tiny Bodhi with mom's eyes, dad's hair and the world's cutest toes, naming conflicts suddenly won't seem so important any more.
What did people think of your name choices? Share your experiences here. And if you have your own question to Ask the Name Lady, drop her a line!











ReaderComments (Page 5 of 7)
9-12-2010 @ 10:28PM
sandy said...Right before my first grandchild was born, we all began the name game. The only name I didn't like was Sierra. I had worked with a girl named Sierra, she was lazy and stupid, And stole ten dollars out of my purse. Guess what my granddaughters name is ? You got it, Sierra. It was my daughter-in-laws idea. Even though she knew it was my # 1 hated name. Passive-aggressive anyone. I think I know what she thinks of me. Sierra is a color of brown, and my granddaughter is a curly blond with blue eyes. I call her susie-q. Or curly sue. She loves it.
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9-13-2010 @ 3:32AM
Holly said...Your granddaughter's name is Sierra...stop being a moron and start using her given name, not your extremely dated cutesey names that were familial nicknames generations ago. To be opposed to a name because it reminds you of someone you didn't like is childish. Also, you might get an education. Sierra is not a shade of brown---Sienna is. Sierra refers to a mountainous region. It's time for you to grow up, she may not have a problem with your pet names now because she little and likes grandma's attention but the older she gets, if you call her Susie Q or Curley Sue in front of her friends, she will be cringing. Her name isn't the problem, your obstinance is. You might try hypnosis therapy to rid you of your aversion to the name.
9-12-2010 @ 10:34PM
Tess said...A child's name is not about the parents or the grandparents, but about the child and what they will have to live with for the rest of their life. If you don't give a s*** what anyone else thinks and unless you plan to keep a child protected from all social interaction with peers and home school them, then think of what you are saddling a child with for life. Names matter, and will have an effect on the child's self esteem. Signed, been there and done that.
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9-12-2010 @ 10:34PM
Erica said...Say what you want, but Bill is 100% CORRECT!
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9-12-2010 @ 10:38PM
charlie said...ok for starters some people are getting out of control with weird or original baby names these days. as for cullen its a name from the twilight books and most boys are going to grow up resenting it. as for bohdi its a good name with strange or hippy spelling, i know of 3 cases of bodie in pop culture: the skier, a charecter from the show "the wire" (a classic show and charecter so if thats your inspiration great) or, patrick swayze in point break (hippy). if you like it go for and let your folks deal with it just dont do it to be "cool", the child will know and harbor ill will. every kid gets teased i was charlie tuna, so i became chuck and just went back to charlie cause its who i am
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9-12-2010 @ 10:46PM
Mary Austin said...Ummmm...Has no one ever heard of Bohdi Elfman, Jenna Elfmans' hubby????????
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9-12-2010 @ 11:37PM
ae12wrangell@aol.com said...Already a few wierd names for babies; Moon Unit and Dweezil Zappa(daddy had a real intelligent name; Frank). Let mommy and daddy choose whatever name(s) they agree on.
PS; President Truman never had a middle name. His name was/is Harry S Truman, yet historian's still place a period after the "S". Truman's parent's andgrandparent's couldn't come to an agreement, so..............
9-12-2010 @ 10:48PM
Ayamatum Peatwei Todd said...Well, recess is probably gonna suck for the kid, but that's okay, just have him tell everyone that he's a Hindu apostate. Will you get him his own tree to sit under?
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9-12-2010 @ 11:03PM
Marilon Speed said...I can agree with both sides of this arguement. I have a resonably common name but with an unusual spelling formed by taking parts of each parents first names and putting them together to form my first name. I am 63 years old, and have spent nearly all of that time explaining WHY my name is spelled that way or at the least correcting the misspronounciation. Of course you want something unique, but think of the lifelong aggrivation of having to correct everyone from teachers to doctors regarding the correct name to call you.
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9-12-2010 @ 11:06PM
blackbeltbird said...Your biggest mistake was telling everyone the name you decided on before the baby was born. Don't ever, ever, ever do that. You will get tons of unsolicited advice about other people's opinions, and it's not their decision. It's yours, as it's your child to name. You may also start a family rift if you don't use a family name, or if you choose one family's name over the other family. If you do want outside opinions, only ask one or two of your most trusted friends or family members, and swear this to secrecy until the birth. Telling people beforehand is never a good idea, no matter how excited you are about the name you chose. Once the baby is born and their name is on the birth certificate, they can complain to themselves all they want - it's legal then.
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9-12-2010 @ 11:10PM
wwinterraynes said...I was the first grandchild on you fathers side of the family and every one wanted me named after them it was a mess. my mom had planned to name me Dena Elayne, but it was scream and fight so when she had them all in the hospital room she said I'll settle this she'll be Mary after me and Dale after her dad well that worked out real fine I was teased about my name for years even grown ups made fun of my name I hated it to the point of distraction. In 1982 my husband came to me and said Baby come on we're going to the lawyer and having your name changed to anything you want it to be. We did. I chose Winter Raynes and have never regretted it and have never answered to Mary or Dale again. You are the mother and father it's your baby. Tell the relatives if they don't like your choice of name for your baby to have their own and leave you alone. I'd say it more forcefully but even though I'm 60 my mom doesn't put up with cuss words, but she does love my new name and has used it from day one.
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9-12-2010 @ 11:24PM
J.E.B. said...That poor kid is going to grow up with horrible tauntings like "Fat Bodhi" or Dead Bodhi", or worse, all because the parents wanted to be stylish or unique. This was a BAD idea, because now the kid will have to live with THEIR mistakes!
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9-12-2010 @ 11:32PM
h said...What your idiot family members should take into consideration is that at least you didn't pick...Ashley...Brittany...Courtney...That even though you didn't get pass your "A, B, C's" at least you found a name that was unique and different within the first three letters of the alphabets names for both sexes...And have you ever seen a 60 year old grayed out hag with the first name of Brandy with a "Y" and or Brandi With a "i" instead...Not that cool at that age...Just ptitful...If they do not like it, tough noogies on them because it is not their own child that they brought into this world.
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9-12-2010 @ 11:30PM
Roberta said...Why cripple your kid with a terrible name?? If you must, call him Bodhi as a little pet name, but don't put it on his birth certificate. Better yet, name your dog Bodhi.
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9-12-2010 @ 11:34PM
MamaSchack said...Our oldest daughter was named after her two grandmothers. We used my husband mother's middle name Hedwig and my mother's first Ruth. My mother in law wanted us to name her ruth hedwig because people would call heddi. But I refused. and long as she lived at home she was hedwig. when she was a senior in high school and 18 there was a falling out. And she left home and became Heddi. To me she will always be Hedwig.
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9-12-2010 @ 11:52PM
h said...Bill is a moron of a man because he didn't live up to his first and only given name of "William." He took the second version that is a knock off known as "Bill." So he needs to put up for real, stop being a fraud to his real first name or just slink away to a corner and shut up.
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9-12-2010 @ 11:40PM
RAllen said...My name is Robin, which I like despite all the teasing I received as a child: Robin Redbreast, Robin Hood, Rockin' Robin, etc. But that was years ago. Now I work as an educator for a state wildlife agency and I am really love it when people make a connection between my name and the bird species. And one of my favorite actors is Robin Williams. Rock on, Robins!
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9-12-2010 @ 11:41PM
Tdu1vme said...Bill nailed it. A major problem with the name, Bodhi, is the ease with which it can be mocked by a child bent on attracting attention and/or establishing his or her false sense of superiority and elevated placement in the playground pecking order. Example: such a child states, "You're 'boaty' alright; you're always drifting around in a fog!" OR "You're 'booty' alright; with that fat butt and those big feet you couldn't be anything else !" Unfortunately, some children and adolescents, as well as adults, can be very cruel. The parents should take that into account and seriously consider selecting a name, even an unusual or uncommon one, which does not lend itself to such similarity with words which can be used by the thoughtless and selfish to mock the child with such name.
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9-13-2010 @ 12:07AM
h said...Bill is a moron of a man because he didn't live up to his first and only given name of "William." He took the second version that is a knock off known as "Bill." So he needs to put up for real, stop being a fraud to his real first name or just slink away to a corner and shut up.
9-13-2010 @ 12:06AM
h said...Bill is a moron of a man because he didn't live up to his first and only given name of "William." He took the second version that is a knock off known as "Bill." So he needs to put up for real, stop being a fraud to his real first name or just slink away to a corner and shut up.
Reply