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AIBU?

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Original poster

Poll: Prefer to be called Christian name or Mrs by children

341 replies

Mrsredoneslast · 13/02/2011 10:56

By request.
Do you prefer to be called by your christian name or by your "title"..Mrs, Ms etc...by children (acquiantances's children/ dc's school friends etc)

So which

A)christian name

or

B) "title"
?

OP posts:
cornsilk · 13/02/2011 11:07

don't mind

Onetoomanycornettos · 13/02/2011 11:09

A, I'm not Mrs Cornetto anyway, and don't require such formal means of address except from my students (who call me Dr Somethingelsesentirely).

hobnobsaremyfavourite · 13/02/2011 11:09

A and my DC's have a close group of adults that I am more than happy for them to call by first names. However if we meet a new adult or someone considerably older they are to call them Mr/Mrs etc until invited to do otherwise. I don't always think it's the name you use for someone that indicates respect more the tone of what is said and how it's said. (if that makes sense)

Checkmate · 13/02/2011 11:09

don't mind, just hate being called "checkmate'sDCs-Mum"

ENormaSnob · 13/02/2011 11:09

A

Original poster
Mrsredoneslast · 13/02/2011 11:09

Im a Dr too but never use it except at work

OP posts:
RealityIsKnockedUp · 13/02/2011 11:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

hocuspontas · 13/02/2011 11:12

A

Unless you are going to reciprocate the 'respect' by calling the children 'Miss' or 'Master' then what's wrong with them calling you the same name as their parents do?

MoonGirl1981 · 13/02/2011 11:12

A.

I'm still a Miss, so would sound like a teacher. Also my son and I have different surnames and may confuse some of them.

WaddlingSheep · 13/02/2011 11:14

A as B would make me feel ancient.

brimfull · 13/02/2011 11:14

A

I still call my parents friends by title though.
Got a funny look when I called parents next door neighbour by her first name last time i was home.

carciofi · 13/02/2011 11:15

A - by first name.

Folicacid · 13/02/2011 11:16

A

Salmotrutta · 13/02/2011 11:18

A - first name for friends' children and DCs friends years ago when mine were little. Even though I was brought up to use Mrs X etc. by my parents.
But I hate shop assistants, cold callers, anyone who doesn't know me but is dealing with me in "business" capacity etc. latching onto my first name and using it unasked. I'm not their friend and they should be more formal.

But then I'm older - maybe it is a generational thing.

frasersmummy · 13/02/2011 11:20

When I was growing up A was the norm but then marriage before kids was the norm so most mums would be mrs X

Nowadays there are soo many of us that dont marry before kids that knowing the right title is a mindfield so B has become the norm.. neither bothers me

I have an unusual first name so lots of the kids call me R's mummy

Salmotrutta · 13/02/2011 11:22

Oh yes, and I'm Dr (PhD) but that's only used professionally - although I do have a friend who addresses cards etc. to me using the title and it just seems weird out of the workplace!!

pirateparty · 13/02/2011 11:23

A

But would call my friend's parents Mrs/Mr unless asked not to or was introduced to them by their first name specifically, but they are a different generation.

CardiCorgi · 13/02/2011 11:23

Would prefer B on first aquaintance. It's then easy enough to say "please call me Cardi". Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but it is how I was brought up too (and I'm not that old).

I also hate it when people I don't know call me by my Christian name, or even worse, abbreviate it.

Being in Germany we also have the minefield of formal or informal "you" to get through.

FabbyChic · 13/02/2011 11:24

A

NotJustKangaskhan · 13/02/2011 11:24

Neither.

My children call adults Mr. (forename) or Ms. (forename) unless asked to do otherwise.

My children's friends typically call me "(DC's forename)'s mum". If they wanted to call me by my name, it would be the same as I have my children do - why should they call me by a more familar name than my children do?

I prefer strangers to call me Mrs. (surname), I find it really annoying when cold callers or random medical professional calls me by my forename.

littleomar · 13/02/2011 11:25

A

i find it rude when people call me miss omar (or mrs omar'spartner which isn't even my name). it always sounds like they're taking the piss.

Bluemoonrising · 13/02/2011 11:26

By Christian name, definitely.

I never have (in my adult life) and never will choose to be classified by my marital status, and certainly not by people I know.

Men aren't, why should women.

dustwhatdust · 13/02/2011 11:26

I prefer B first
Then - depending on who they are i can say you may call me first name- which 99% of the time I say, 'please call me Dust'

I like others, hate it when sales people presume to call me by my first name, i believe they should call me Mrs untill I say otherwise.
I am an older mumsnetter - had my DS when i was 42 - he's 9 now !

FoundWanting · 13/02/2011 11:27

A. Although DS1 has a friend who always calls me MrsWanting and I hold him up as a paradigm of good manners and charm to my own children.

edam · 13/02/2011 11:29

B.

Sadly round here Christian name seems to be normal. Feels all wrong to me (I grew up in the 70s and 80s up North and would never have dreamed of calling an adult by their first name - it was always Mr or Mrs X unless they were close family friends, in which case it was Auntie or Uncle first name.)