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Original poster

Initials FGM?

40 replies

AnnieApple123 · 13/12/2022 10:00

This has to be a no, right?

Such a shame as the names would be family names and would go so well together.

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Luredbyapomegranate · 13/12/2022 21:28

PrincePrecious · 13/12/2022 14:11

Surely only children would laugh at someone's initials standing for something else? And the vast majority of children would hopefully be unlikely to know FGM.
Adults would know FGM but I cannot imagine adults seeing this as something to snigger about????

It’s widely taught about in schools as a prevention / awareness strategy, so yes kids would know. Apart from being a really unhappy association, it’s a great hook for a bully.

Luredbyapomegranate · 13/12/2022 21:26

NO!

Feck..

willithappen · 13/12/2022 20:43

I've heard of it but never as an FGM acronym. Asked some others and they were the same and had no idea what it could stand for or be taken fun of.

Flapjackquack · 13/12/2022 15:21

@PrincePrecious no but still an unpleasant thing that people might think of when they see your initials. I wouldn’t want that association.

PrincePrecious · 13/12/2022 14:25

@Flapjackquack I guess I was thinking that anyone who knows what it is, wouldn't find it something funny to snigger about

Flapjackquack · 13/12/2022 14:21

@PrincePrecious - I was taught about FGM at secondary school. I think it might be compulsory now as part of PSHE or whatever it’s called. I thought it was common knowledge now.

Marcipex · 13/12/2022 14:11

@willithappen Female Genital Mutilation

PrincePrecious · 13/12/2022 14:11

Surely only children would laugh at someone's initials standing for something else? And the vast majority of children would hopefully be unlikely to know FGM.
Adults would know FGM but I cannot imagine adults seeing this as something to snigger about????

willithappen · 13/12/2022 14:07

No idea what's wrong with FGM as initials 🙈

PanicAtTheBigTesco · 13/12/2022 14:05

I have an extra middle name compared to my sister and can honestly say it's never crossed my mind once!

fairycupcakes · 13/12/2022 14:05

please don’t 😟 as others have said swap the first and middle name or add a name in. It’s quite something to be saddled with

Theunamedcat · 13/12/2022 13:55

Glad you spotted it now instead high school when they wanted to embroider initials on the pe top we all looked at the form and the shop owner said is there a middle name? Yes (thankfully) there was she didn't charge for the extra letter

Original poster
AnnieApple123 · 13/12/2022 13:48

Also lots of things already aren’t equal. DS was born at home but, for various reasons, I’m not planning for this baby to be. I didn’t have an early scan this time but am thinking about it this time. Maybe I shouldn’t, to keep things fair.

OP posts:
Original poster
AnnieApple123 · 13/12/2022 13:45

Reugny · 13/12/2022 12:38

Don't do that.

I was given one more middle name than my siblings and half-siblings, so dropped one of them.

I talked to some of my extended family and friends who work with children including teens. Children need to feel they are treated the same as their siblings including the names they have been given and are used.

Show quote history

If this baby is a girl, there are two female relatives I’d like to honour so would use both their names as middle names. There are not two equivalent male relatives so I was only envisaging a boy as having one middle name like our DS. So this decision is for a reason and not just random. Perhaps it could still be an issue though. I don’t know.

OP posts:
helpmenamemybaby · 13/12/2022 13:30

No, don't do it.

Flapjackquack · 13/12/2022 12:45

Reugny · 13/12/2022 12:38

Don't do that.

I was given one more middle name than my siblings and half-siblings, so dropped one of them.

I talked to some of my extended family and friends who work with children including teens. Children need to feel they are treated the same as their siblings including the names they have been given and are used.

Show quote history

I think that’s a bit silly personally. My middle sibling has 2 middle names but the rest of us have 1. It never even occurred to me that was an issue, and we have a lot of issues with favouritism in our family. Middle sibling is not the favourite btw.

Flapjackquack · 13/12/2022 12:43

PanicAtTheBigTesco · 13/12/2022 12:14

Where I work everything we do is referenced with our full initials so we see each other's initials many times a day, not sure what it's like at other places though.

Same, it made me think really hard about initials! Lots of professional services firms do this. I changed the middle name we were going to use as it spells out an acronym for a crime - think GBH but that wasn’t it. Yes DS may never use his full initials but I didn’t want to saddle him with it regardless. Someone at work is SAD and someone else is BAD!

Anewhoo · 13/12/2022 12:43

I don’t think anyone will notice. I’ve not written my child’s initials down like that for anything, usually just first and second name if anything. It’s fine. I know someone who had the initials IRA, has not been an issue for them so far. I don’t think I’ve ever written down my full initials, at work it’s only first and surname.

Reugny · 13/12/2022 12:39

Sorry I should add there are other situations where different types of names siblings have been given or could be given come into play.

Reugny · 13/12/2022 12:38

AnnieApple123 · 13/12/2022 10:12

Thank you. Yes, adding another middle name may be the answer. DS1 only has one middle name but we have two lined-up for if this one is a girl so could do the same for a boy.

Don't do that.

I was given one more middle name than my siblings and half-siblings, so dropped one of them.

I talked to some of my extended family and friends who work with children including teens. Children need to feel they are treated the same as their siblings including the names they have been given and are used.

Marcipex · 13/12/2022 12:34

No don’t. Switch it around or add another name in.

Reugny · 13/12/2022 12:32

PanicAtTheBigTesco · 13/12/2022 12:14

Where I work everything we do is referenced with our full initials so we see each other's initials many times a day, not sure what it's like at other places though.

I've worked in more than one company in a different sector where they use the name on your passport for email addresses and ids.

Even then they have to have email address/ids like TSSmith20.

ChessieFL · 13/12/2022 12:23

I use my full initials at work as there’s someone else with the same first name and surname initials so we have to use our middle name initials too to distinguish between us.

PanicAtTheBigTesco · 13/12/2022 12:14

Where I work everything we do is referenced with our full initials so we see each other's initials many times a day, not sure what it's like at other places though.

VenusClapTrap · 13/12/2022 12:10

bibbiddybobbidyboo · 13/12/2022 10:33

They aren't going to be known as FGM in their adult life just FM. Although most people know the term it wouldn't be the first thing to jump out at me with those initials, no id say mostly women would associate those initials with it and not men. I think initials have to be very careful with spelling out actual words like ASS.

I think you're over-thinking it. MN is not representative of the general population with a wider age range and demographic.

I agree with this. How often in life do your full initials come up? It’ll just be FM embroidered on PE shirts (if their school even does that).