Calling child the wrong name

[purplepuffa]

Would you be offended if someone called your child the wrong name several times in a row?

At my child's birthday party, I called a 6 year old the name of another 6 year old who was there. They look sort of similar, build and hair etc. I did it quite a few times including directly to the child before the mum reminded me of their actual name 😥

They are both kids of friends I know well, so felt terrible and apologised a lot! Obviously I did actually know the child's name - I think I was just in a bit of a weird headspace with all the party planning and hosting!

I've been awake worrying that I've really offended my friend even though she was polite about it.

YABU - I would be very upset if that was my child
YANBU - Not a big deal!

Not something I’d think twice about.

Of course not- they knew it was a mistake x

Thank you! It's one of those things that's probably tiny but goes round and round in your head!

Parents do it to their own children let alone other people's. Teachers get confused. It happens. No need to fret at all. When I was very into sport as a teenager I had coaches who would never remember my name, it's unusual, I trained there for years but would be called a random selection of names that started with the same letter as mine.

Why on earth would i be offended?

If you got it wrong after you were corrected then I think I might be mildly irritated as the parent (wouldn't hold it against you though), but otherwise no. I get my own mixed up all the time, plus fondly remember Gran going through the names of ddad's siblings (and the cats!) before settling on his name.

Not an issue. Let it goooooo

Nope. I get my own kids names all mixed up at times! 😂

I've got five kids. My younger son, particularly, got called every name in the family (including my brother's and the dog's) before I managed to hit on the right one. With my own child. Whose name I chose. In the heat of the moment it's easily done and at least you used another name, you didn't have to resort to 'hey, you!'

I’m a brownie leader and sometimes forget names I knew ten minutes ago. And called one by someone else’s name. She looked at me and said ‘I’m not …’. I just said sorry it’s been a long day. I blame perimenopause 🤣

Not a thing to spend any more time worrying about!
If the mum is offended by something so trivial then she's not someone to be friends with.

I don't mean to be dismissive because I know stuff can play on your mind but, honestly, there are so many things in life to worry about and this is not one of them.

I’m constantly calling DDs by the dogs name and visa versa. 🤷‍♀️ Several people have called them by the wrong name (admittedly not the dogs name, that’s just me) as their names are similar and they look similar. I can’t find it in me to get excited about it.

I wouldn’t give it a second thought OP!

I'd be offended if the two you mix up are the only black kids.

Not a problem at all, unless there was a racial element. If, for example, there were just two black kids at the party and you kept mixing them up, that wouldn’t be great. Otherwise, no issue.

I’ve called my youngest son by my sister’s dog’s name loads of times now 🫣
They’re different sexes and he’s 16 so I should know his name by now 😅

Similarly my Nana went through my aunties, female cousins and my DAD before finally landing on my name once - she was only in her 60s at the time 😂
No big deal, just out of situation and you were probably a little stressed!

Im asian and yeah i do pick up when white people will get the asian/ black kids mixed up as apparently we all look the same. But im assuming this isnt that situation

I used to mix up the names of a bunch of blonde haired boys in one my kids' classes who did actually all look pretty much the same. Everyone muddled them up.

Is that offensive?

Nope, I call my son by our cats nick name and and my cat by our son's name repeatedly 🤣
I get mixed up with 2 pairs of kids at my daughter's school no matter how hard I try. They don't look similar but have similar names - 2 unusual but similar and 2 common names but just similar. I feel triumphant when I do get the names right

I call my own kids the wrong names repeatedly this wouldn’t offend me.

I muddle my own kids names (they’re not the same gender) and often call them by the dogs’ names or their dad’s. Totally normal if you are rushed off your feet to do the same to kids at a party. You just laugh and say ‘I barely know my own name right now!’

I pressed YABU by mistake and don’t know how to change it.
Worry not. It’s easily done especially when you’re very busy or tired.

I'm a teacher and perimenopausal, I am always getting students names muddled up.

I am one of six and my dad gets our names mixed up all the time. That’s why we have nick names I think, he knows I’m Bug and my sister is Bobble, but if he has to use our government names he will get us mixed up. It’s okay when it’s my sister but I do get a bit miffed when he calls me one of boys names.

Easily done, especially in a stressful situation such as when you are hosting a party. No reasonable person would take offence.