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If the nursery teacher couldn't spell your child's name?

25 replies

Tanga · 27/09/2010 23:02

My beautiful youngest DS has just started going to Nursery. He had a really tough first week which was quite traumatic (lots of crying before and after etc) and TBH the place is a bit...well, poncy, TBH, full uniform for 3 year olds? (starter 'kit' from their website £85 Hmm)

They do a home/school diary thing - they do a write up of his week, pretending they are talking to him, with pictures of what he has been doing, and we have to do one back, pretending to be him and saying what we have done at the weekend.

But here's the thing, the first week they spelled his name wrong. We just had a giggle and said ooh, they'll kick themselves when they realise...but it's wrong again this week and now I feel ridiculously awkward - do I write it in big letters at the end of 'his' bit of the diary?

I work full time so don't get to drop him or collect him - it seems OTT to phone them - it's correct on the front of the book! Shall I just homeschool him to save myself the embarrassment?

OP posts:
savoycabbage · 27/09/2010 23:07

It's not OTT. You don't want him to learn how to spell it incorrectly. If they hadn't gotbit right on tbe front you could have changed it to what the teacher had put.

I once taught a child called Wendesday and I could never slpell it. In fact I can't spell it now. It was the same as the day ofbthe week but with the d andvthe n reversed.

gaelicsheep · 27/09/2010 23:17

I have the same problem. There is an original and correct version of my DS's name and a common mis-spelling, often used as an alternative given name. DS's pictures are coming home with the mis-spelling even though all his name labels etc are correct (we made sure of it). I'm really worried he'll be taught the mis-spelt version as well. I haven't mentioned it yet, but I think I will soon.

MaMoTTaT · 27/09/2010 23:24

do they teach them to spell their name in nursery these days as well Shock

blimey - none of mine learned to spell their name until they started school!

savoycabbage · 28/09/2010 05:56

Wedensday

That was it.

greenlotus · 28/09/2010 06:59

Why would you not just ring up and explain? They probably have had loads of new children start, not only yours, somewhere there's been a muddle, just give them a break!

Alternatively this weekend's diary contribution could read "I was so confused this week because XX has put "Tomas" instead of "Thomas" in my book and I am trying very hard to learn my own name. Mummy says the right way to spell my name is THOMAS should anyone need to know.

You do want it right but also you don't want to fall out with your nursery at this early stage.

MmeBlueberry · 28/09/2010 07:03

Does he have a weirdly spelled name?

gorionine · 28/09/2010 07:08

My Dcs have foreign names and their spellings is different to what is pronounced in English. DS2's teacher (year1 at the time)spelt it wrongly on the coat hook I just told her and she changed it. Why don't you just tell the teacher? why is it akward? Surely she will be happy to rectifie.

HecateQueenOfWitches · 28/09/2010 07:12

I am forever having to correct peoples spelling of my childrens names. It's no big deal but if you don't do it now, that spelling will become fixed in the teachers head and it'll be harder for them to switch!

Panzee · 28/09/2010 07:15

I once had a supply in as a NN and she spelt one of the children's names (an acceptable variant) on her picture. Her mum came in and said "I'm sorry, but it's -ie, not -y". I apologised on the NN's behalf, and no more was said.
It's not a big thing to point it out, so please don't be nervous and do it. :)

Panzee · 28/09/2010 07:16

Aagh! Just realised you won't see them. A phone call does feel OTT but in the circumstances it will be fine.

Maybe it's spelt wrong on the official register? It's happened to us!

nooka · 28/09/2010 07:17

If you don't want to ring why not write a polite and friendly note and pop it in his book? You might also want to start looking for an alternative as it doesn't sound as if you and the nursery are likely to be coming from the same place. Personally I think the 'pretending to be the child' thing is really grim, not sure I could cope with that at all I'd feel quite infantalised.

Rockbird · 28/09/2010 08:02

DD's nursery keep putting two t's on the end of her name but sometimes they don't. Haven't said anything as it's a childcare nursery as opposed to preschool but maybe I should.

piscesmoon · 28/09/2010 08:10

Just point it out politely-write it in the book.
I agree with nooka-the pretend to be the DC thing makes me want to grab the sick bucket!!

piscesmoon · 28/09/2010 08:11

Also, although I am a big fan of school uniform, I hate uniform for nursery.

GooseyLoosey · 28/09/2010 08:13

Just say. I am grappling with the fact that dd's Yr 2 teacher cannot spell her last name (a fairly common Irish surname). This would not be a problem, except her brother was in the teacher's class last year and he had no problems whatsoever spelling his name!

tokyonambu · 28/09/2010 08:13

There is a moral here, of course: if the nursery school teacher can't spell it, the chances are that no-one else can, and they're going to go through life having to spell their name out every time they need to give it. Better get used to it now.

gorionine · 28/09/2010 10:28

I think if the "can't" spell it they will just have to learn how to spell it or is that only for children to aquire new skillsSmile

tokionambu, I would agree with you if it was let's say a friend's mum who spelt it wrong on a card. I would not say anything in that case but the teacher who see the child every day surely owes to the child to be able to spell their name properly.

MaMoTTaT · 28/09/2010 10:32

I'm not sure about if the nursery school teacher can't spell it chances are no-one else can.

DS1 and 2 have learnt to spell their surname quite well (DS1 better as he's older), my best friend has (finally - only took her 3yrs Grin) learned to spell my surname.

I had to learn how to spell my surname when I got married as an adult too, surely if adults can learn to spell surnames they can learn to spell names.

Bucharest · 28/09/2010 10:36

My daughter has an English name but we are in Italy, and as it's quite similar to an abbreviated Italian name so it was/is invariably spelled wrong. Tbh, I didn't even think about it, she knows how to spell her own name, so what does it matter?

Tanga · 28/09/2010 18:53

Thanks for the responses - no, it isn't a difficult or alternatively spelled name, and it is only 5 letters! I think I'll find a way of working it into the text of next week's diary as per greenlotus or nooka's suggestion.

OP posts:
wigglesrock · 28/09/2010 19:00

I would stick a note in her book, my dd is Sofia and its always spelt Sophia, I just correct it. She still gets birthday invites spelt wrongly but she just spells it right on cards etc.

FloraFinching · 28/09/2010 19:14

My 3 yo DD's name is mis-spelt from time to time at nursery (two letters reversed).

It is not an unusual name, and only has one spelling (not like Isabel/Isobel), but it is tricky to spell. I let it slide for a bit as DD knows how to spell it, but I did correct them when her peg and tray were labelled incorrectly, as she needs to recognise the proper spelling.

Lougle · 28/09/2010 19:47

My DD1 attends a Special School, and on her first day they had put a namecard above her peg, with her abbreviated name on it. They had spelt it '-y' instead of '-ie'.

It was awkward because it had been laminated, and so I didn't want to make a fuss. However, I really want DD1 to learn her real name.

I decided to just ask them to change it, but when I went into school the next day, they had changed it for a photo of her with her name on it, which was spelt '-ie'. They had noticed and changed it all.

ragged · 28/09/2010 19:59

DS had his name mispelt on his work-tray all the way thru Yr 1 (sigh). I never said a thing tho' it grated on me.
He still knows how to spell it correctly, as did his yr1 teacher, don't know who made that mistake!

TechLovingDad · 02/10/2010 13:18

Mention it to them. No one and I mean no one spells my surname correctly.

Even though it only has 6 letters and is spelled as it sounds.

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