To not want to be addressed as Mrs, and not Ms?

[MitziKinsky]

One of my DCs teachers always addresses me in writing as Ms. Kinsky.

I have the same surname as my DC, I wear a wedding ring, and often draghave DH with me, so I expect to be addressed as Mrs Kinsky, or even Mitzi (I am on first name terms with all the other staff at this school).

I find using Ms when you know someone is married a bit rude. I'm contemplating pointing out, nicely, that I'm a Mrs.

No, I wouldn't. I'd just use my first name. But I've never heard anyone use 'Miss' and Firstname either - is it more formal/polite?

Miss Firstname makes me think of Southern Belles for some reason

"Why Miss Elizabeth, I do declare...."

That sort of thing - don't know why!

Me too! And Jane Austen ? Miss Marianne and all.

Now you mention it, you're right! I have heard people use Mss firstname like that.

scatter, are you American then?

*Miss, not Mss. Clearly my fingers are conspiring against Miss, too.

Nope, I'm English LDR.

I started helping teach dancing when I was about 14, and my teacher wanted me to call myself Miss Chasse, but I thought it was too formal, so she let me use Miss Scatter instead. I have friends who use it as well though, two or three tutor, one's a music teacher, one's a childminder.

I think we all it because if you start teaching people not that much younger than you, you perhaps want to separate yourself a bit, but not quite so much as Miss/Mrs Lastname.

BluddyMoFo I couldn't agree more. I always feel a complete tosser on the phone when I tell people it's Ms but I'll never use anything else. Or change my surname, that completely bemused me as I feel it's part of my identity but I think I'm a bit weird here because most people I know were happy to change.

If the teacher hasn't been specifically asked not to, why is using Ms rude? Is my title is an insult in a foreign language?

*wanders off wondering if known as Bumbreath NTEFC in Swahili...

I don't like 'Ms'. I am a 'Miss' now and I will be a 'Mrs' when I am married. However, if I am addressed as 'Ms', I dont let it bother me too much, there are far more important issues to get offended about

Have you asked them not to use Ms? If so YANBU. If not Ms is a perfectly sensible neutral title which I would use if I didn't know which title a woman preferred.

So in my case I am Mrs Dragon but am perfectly happy to be addressed as Ms Dragon. I would not like Miss Dragon however.

Have noticed that students have started referring to me as Ms Cory on the exam papers instead of using my title. Have a sneaking suspicion that the male professor still gets called Professor X, though. Though I would dearly love to know what they call the female professor. Dare I ask?

I am a married Ms (and was a single one too), for the same reason as many other posters. I always refer to others as Ms unless asked to do otherwise. Just say, I prefer to be Mrs xxx, and be polite about it.

Have noticed that students have started referring to me as Ms Cory on the exam papers instead of using my title.

What is your title? Dr? Or have you made it clear that you prefer to be known as Mrs?

Totally agree indignant. I am a ring wearing married woman who also likes to be called Mrs. I think the school should treat parents more individually and address them with the title they ask to be addressed by whether that is Mrs or Ms. It is also annoying when people insist on calling my DH my 'partner' when they know I am married!!!

I vote for no title at all

I'm Ms and am married.

I dislike Mrs (for myself), but I would use that title if someone wanted me to use it in reference to them.

I hate the assumption that I am Mrs. I'm sure people who dislike Ms feel mucht the same.

YES forthering - no title would be fine by me!

Mumsnet campaign! (joking )

by they way yes I think it was a bad decidion to make up Ms in the first place. I have no issues with being Frau in Germany, because all adult women are addressed as such, regardless of their marital status.

I don't like Ms. too, though I prefer it to Mrs! I wish there was a neutral sort of title (that doesn't make any assumptions about the person in question, Ms. is a bit loaded) like Mr for adult women regardless of marital status.

I am married, don't wear a ring and have a different surname to my children as I kept my maiden name, but still get called Mrs. Tbh it's too much to expect the school to be keeping track of names and titles of several hundred parents for informal conversation with the school office.

Mumsnet campaign! (not joking :o )

Er "like Mr for adult women regardless of marital status. "

That's exactly what Ms was meant for

The only reason it's politically loaded is certain people have certain views. It doesn't change what it's meant for how it's used, or how it's intended...

umadoopaloop Wed 16-Nov-11 13:51:40
"Have noticed that students have started referring to me as Ms Cory on the exam papers instead of using my title.

What is your title? Dr? Or have you made it clear that you prefer to be known as Mrs?"

My title is Dr. I have no preference for Ms/Mrs, just a feeling that students tend to assume that male teachers are doctors or professors and that a female member of staff is probably some kind of teaching assistant.

cory oh yes, I see!

in fact, though students naturally address us by our first name, I have noticed once or twice that they speak of my male colleague as Dr X and then write MsCory or MrsCory about me

You need to switch to a woman-dominated department!

At my place there was until recently a female prof who was involved in a huge amount of the undergraduate teaching and running of courses, and so she was very visible to them - and I've noticed how the older undergrads who were first years when she was teaching tend to assume all professors are female, whereas the younger ones don't. Odd how easily conditioned we are, isn't it?

Mind you I also remember someone saying that their child, despite having a female GP, figured out from pop culture/school books that doctors were men.