How do your DCs address adults?

[UnlimitedChipsAndSalsa]

Let's say your neighbours are Sarah and Carl Smith. What would your DCs call them?

When I was a child, I would have used "Mrs. Smith" and "Mr. Smith" when talking both to and about them. Is that overly formal now? I was thinking maybe "Ms. Sarah" and "Mr. Carl". They're not close enough to be "Auntie Sarah" etc. Obviously, DD will copy what we model. I'd love to hear your opinions. Thanks!

By their first names.

First names

Can’t they just use their first names? 🤔 why do they have to call them something different? 🤔

We just go with their names. To be fair though that was also the case when I was a child so anything else would feel very odd to me.

Maybe first names is the norm now. It feels rude to me for children to call adults by their first names (unless the adult has said that's their preference). I'm happy to be corrected.

Most people are Aunty and Uncle as is the go to where I live, so my friends, the childminder, cousins who are much older, their close friends parents etc, all Aunty. It's a way to distinguish who is important to us and who can be trusted in a way.
My dc are very small though, as they grow older they are free to drop the aunty bit.

First names. Why on earth would they say Ms Sarah?! You know what that sounds like, don't you?

First names!

I wouldn't find it rude in the slightest if a child called me by my name. I would find it very formal if they called me Ms Second name, and just plain weird if it were Ms First name.

By their first names. I don't even know their surname myself, despite being on friendly chat outside terms with both sides.
Although one side is a bit younger than us, one side very slightly older. If they were elderly neighbours, I'd make an effort to find out their surname because I know that my grandma thinks anything apart from Mrs Smith is rude from children.

@WunWun, @Zarene I thought "Ms. Sarah" might be a good compromise (still trying to mark some form of respect), but obviously it sounds weird to people. I'm glad I started this thread!

@Eileen101

By their first names. I don't even know their surname myself, despite being on friendly chat outside terms with both sides. Although one side is a bit younger than us, one side very slightly older. If they were elderly neighbours, I'd make an effort to find out their surname because I know that my grandma thinks anything apart from Mrs Smith is rude from children.

Ah, maybe first names are sounding weird to me because the two sets of neighbours that I have in mind are elderly.

First names. Growing up we did first names in England but when in Ireland it was strictly Mrs (surname).

First names.

Are you in the UK or the US where things are more formal with ma'am and sir etc?

Mr and Mrs Surname and that includes their friends parents, except for when saying Jack/Jane mum/dad.

Round here, miss Sarah is used for teaching assistants!

My kids call all of our neighbours by their first names. I did wonder if the 90yo bloke would prefer Mr Smith but he responds positively when the children shout "hello John" up the street and wave madly. He might prefer Mr Smith from me too...
I'm beginning to think it's about engaging positively with the neighbors rather than necessarily what you call them.

@MeadowLines

Are you in the UK or the US where things are more formal with ma'am and sir etc?

@MeadowLines UK Maybe I just grew up in a formal family. I thought there would be more of a mix of answers, but first names seems to be the norm.

First names here too. Growing up we called neighbours and parents friends by firstnames if they were a similar age to my parents but Mr / Mrs for the older generation. I can't think of anyone I refer to by title surname now apart from teachers.

I think definitely first names especially if you see them as elderly as I think it would be rude and weird to call them Mr or Mrs.

I don’t think I have ever called neighbours growing up anything other than their first names.

Thanks, everyone! This isn't going to be one of those threads where everyone pretty much says the same thing and the OP keeps railing against it. First names do still seem overly informal to me, but it seems that's the most common way and won't be considered rude by the vast majority of people.

The group has spoken!

Why don't you ask them how they want to be addressed? How old are they?
My grandmother was a very particular lady with very Victorian ideas. She HATED being called by her first name by people she didn't know well (nurses, HCA's etc) and liked to be addressed as Mrs last name. Yes, old fashioned but her preference.
On the other hand, I hate being called Mrs last name and always invite people to call me by my first name if they don't do it automatically.

Nope, I’m with you OP, it was “you remember mummy ans daddy’s friends, Mr and Mrs Bell, don’t you Hottoddy?”

Generally if they were good friends of my friends they’d always ask me to call them Sue and Tom. But to start with - surnames

First names. If they objected of course I'd change it, but I don't even know my neighbours' surnames. Plus first names tend to be easier to say and remember.

We don't use Auntie/Uncle for non-family either, I think it's confusing for children.

Aunty and uncle unless we know them well, then its first name.

I was thinking maybe "Ms. Sarah" and "Mr. Carl

No, that's not usual at all.

First names. I too would have called neighbours Mrs X, Mr Y when I was young but that's gone now.