How child's name is pronounced

[OnlyAThought]

Hey all

Just a quick opinion, my LO started school yesterday. When I asked how his day went, the first thing he told was, they are saying my name wrong.

I advised him to correct them, but he feels he can not.

Again, today, at pick up (only part time for the first couple of days as he is in reception), the same sort of conversation and he tells me his name is pronounced incorrectly and stamped his feet said it's not my name.

Should, I ask/tell his teacher, I don't know?

Let me know your thoughts

As a teacher I would want to know the correct pronunciation. If she has a strong regional accent its possible she finds it hard to say but she can try.

I think just politely tell them. 'Please can you call him ....' however you pronounce it. There are presumably several staff members in his class, most reception classes would have a teacher and 1-2 support staff, so even if 1 struggles due to accent, they can't all struggle?

Obviously tell the teacher how to say it, they'll be glad to be told. Imagine if they realised months down the line they'd been mangling a child's name - they'd be very embarrassed.

They've got so many names to learn. I'd address it but don't bother with the "it's not helping him settle and start his school journey well" that's patronising AF

I would have a polite word with the teacher and they might even be grateful.
I have a few tomorrow which I could pronounced a few ways as trickier names, but even Evelyn can be say 3 different ways that I currently know of!

My sister has a name that could be confused with another. Think Catherine /Kathleen. She had no hesitation, aged 4, in telling her teacher that she was using the wrong name. Would your LO not just tell the teacher that she's getting the name wrong? Of course if it's an accent problem that's different. And yes you should talk to the teacher if the name is completely different.

Teacher here, albeit secondary so I’m currently having to learn well over 100 names!

Do tell the teacher, and encourage your son to do the same. I always tell my pupils to tell me if I’m wrong, and that I will never tell them off. Getting someone’s name right is such a basic, an important, thing to do.

Most definitely speak to his teacher. I'm a reception teacher and the first thing I always do is check I'm spelling the name correctly and I'm pronouncing it correctly. It would annoy me if someone kept getting my name wrong so I don't imagine it's any different for a child.

Yes nip it in the bud now!
My middle son has a difficult to pronounce name and we have corrected everyone and now they say it properly. Il be doing the same when my youngest goes to nursery/school as well

I work in reception and definitely tell the staff! We have a child this year where we’ve double checked with the child that we are saying his name correctly. If we’d missed that and he was going home upset, we would all definitely want to know.

Just say it to the teacher! DS has an unusual Irish name, and in reception at an English school felt self-conscious about correcting pronunciation when only four, so I went in and talked to his reception teachers. Who were lovely about it. Never an issue subsequently.

@Clotheshorsewhisperer why did you give both kids difficult to pronounce names? Seems such an unnecessary annoyance.You say you've corrected 'everyone' but surely the problem will be life-long if his name is that tricky to pronounce?

Of course you should say something. Don't wait until the error is settled and harder to erase.

You don't have to go in all guns blazing, just go up to the teacher at school drop-off or pick-up and say that "XXX is coming home unsettled because he feels his name is continually being mispronounced so can we please check that you have it right and there hasn't been a mistake?"

Just speak to the teacher. If it’s day two then the only way the children know the names of each other is because an adult has said them.

Teacher here.

Send an email to the school office and ask them to make the staff aware of the correct pronunciation. The school won't get upset about this - it happens all the time.

Better sorting it out now.

I know how you feel, when my dd started school, her name is Roisin, pronounced rosheen, they constantly called her roysin, everyday I told them, after 2 weeks I got so angry, I’m sure the stupid women did it on purpose, I get it’s unusual but surely after a few times, grrrrrr
stamp it out

Of course you tell the teacher. My son has a name which is not hard to pronounce but they choose to make up variations even though it’s not spelt like that. My son at his sport when shouted as this varied name would just ignore as that’s not his name. With the coach telling me that he wished he listened I replied “he would but you’re not shouting his name.” Petty yes but I’d already explained a million times.

Why wouldn't you suggest speaking to the teacher? It must be easier to verbally demonstrate pronunciation.

Tell them.

However, as the mother of a Naomi who is known as Nigh-oh-mee at school instead of Nay-oh-mee, however much we insist, it might not make much difference!

Schools and names! I have been in quite a number of English lit lessons when the teacher has pronounced Seamus as See- mus.

About half the names in my LO's class this year are "difficult to know how to pronounce by looking" unless you're from the same or similar culture/first language I'd say. It's just something the world needs to wise up on, asking how to pronounce a name isn't that big a deal.

You are going to have a long time of needing to advocate for your child. It is a bit worrying you don't naturally know to do this.

Why would they do it on purpose?

So does he want to be called how he, or you say it? Why the difference?

Your child needs you to advocate for them, always do it.