What do your children's friends call you?

[Mo2]

Mrs X?
Your first name.
'Auntie Firstname' (even if you're not related)

DS1 suddenly has become quite aware of this (staying at people's houses more/having sleepovers etc when he needs to ask for things)

I variously get called all of the above depending on how well the child knows me/ whether they've met me through school (doing parents reading etc)

??

AAA... what colour did you dye his beard??

I'm always just Flame or Auntie Flame (normally substituting Flame for my real name )

I was brought up to call mums friends aunty but it is a trend that seems in the main to be dropped in the 70's. My friends kids call me by my first name, I dont like it as it is too familiar but what can you do about it.

lss - exactly my sentiments - "too familiar" are the words I was looking and failing to find.
Agree that so many use first names that it is hard to do much about it. While it mildly irritates me, not enough to make a massive issue out of it so I just let it go and try not to let it annoy me. My own children only use adult first names when in a group scenario, not when one to one - as the other child will be using mummy so ok for mine to say Mrs...
Still think that it is a pity that this is the standard present social norm. Children are children and adults are adults - children using first names with both seems to put adults on same footing and make their friend?s parents seem on a level with friends. I would like my children to differentiate between them in choice of language IYKWIM. Maybe I am too stuffy?

Basketcase, I agree with you we allways introduce people to dd as auntie , uncle or Mr/s ** depending on how well we know them. If they prefer her to use their christian name instead i leave it to them to ask her to call them by it.

First name

It is like in many fantasy books - a person/thing's real name has power. By using that name, you have control over them.

flamesparrow

I think I may possibly overthink things occasionally!

you have really got me thinking - I love the name/power thing. As much as it amused me, also think there may well be an element of truth in there somewhere.
As a teacher we are supposed to use children?s names as often as possible - not just so they know you know them/are talking to them but because it means that they connect more personally with what you are saying..

Yup - and if you are telling a child off, using their full name seems to get more effect rather than a nickname/shortened version of their name.

First name.

Hate that 'auntie X' when you aren't an auntie.

I say to DS's friends that they can call me 'ds's mummy' (his name of course, not ds). otherwise I'm Mrs S.

Friends children, I'm happy with Auntie A. and ds calls my friends auntie and uncle.

they call me by my first name- one calls me mum- he virtually lives here anyway! i have never had a problem with lack of respect from any of them and feel that i am more approachable generally and in this threatening and changing world i dont think thats a bad thing. ny nephew and nieces call me by my first name too - although one set on my ex dp side still call me auntie, which is sweet.

Most of my friends kids call me by my first name except for my best friends ds wno calls me aunty because as he says "i love you, you buy me spiderman!!!"

Basketcase, I don't get the using first name = lack of respect thing. How is using someone's name, which presumably everyone else uses, showing lack of respect?

I dislike auntie used for a non relative too and don't do it or let me children. An auntie is your mum or dad's sister afaic.

Basketcase I agree with you .

My kids' friends call me by my firstname because it's the done thing nowadays but actually I'd prefer it if they called me Mrs X. Kids have little respect for adults and I would put a lot of it down to overfamiliarity.

aah - don?t be shocked flashing nose

I might have a few strong opinions (and am generally too quick to express and not careful enough with how I express them ) but in rl I am fairly normal and am unbelievably shy/avoid all confrontation/expressing different opinions like the plague. May be that is why I spend so much time on mumsnet - don?t feel so self conscious and find that at last I can state my pov openly, even if it gets me in hot water...

Aah, I've found my MN twin

Am never called anything but my first name by anyone, and never want to be. I might agree that once calling people Mrs/Mr was a respect thing, but we don't do it at work anymore, so why should we force children to do so? I found it really strange when ds went to school to call the teacher Mrs X. Just seemed really odd. I think that respect is in the tone of voice and the way you treat someone, not what you call them. Calling our teachers Mrs/Mr certainly didn't mean we respected all of them when I was at school!

In hospital I would prefer Mrs, and when you log-in (as it were) before entry they ask what you'd like, but they call you by your (Sunday) first name anyway so I don't know why they bother, frankly.

I think we should all wear badges all the time with full formal name + what we'd rather be called.

My name. I can't be doing with being called Mrs. by anyone really, ...., that's the MIL!

Also I have to say I'm not very good at responding to my surname. After all it's really my husband's name anyway, whereas my first name is definitely me. I also find most children don't call me anything (and to my shame some of my friends are still x's mummy to me, as I'm terrible at remembering names!)