Do your kids refer to adults as "Miss Firstname" and "Mister Firstname"?

[akwifeandmomma]

I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority here, but I can't stand it.

I guess people do it as a form of respect for adults, right? But to me it sounds so ridiculous and just... ugh. It's like nails on a chalkboard. For now, I teach my kids to call our friends and other adults by Mr. or Mrs. Lastname, unless they say it's okay for them to call them by their first names. And then it's strictly first names, no Miss or Mister attached.

When kids call me "Miss Shanna", I usually say, "You can just call me Shanna." But I understand that other parents want their kids to refer to adults this way, so I don't push it. I've been asked about it once, when I said I much prefer to be called by my first name alone, or Mrs. MyLastName if they must.

Anyway. Like I said, I know I'm probably the weird one here. I just don't think it's respectful, or cute, or anything other than annoying. So there.

And now I'll hop off my little soapbox.

[mamabeca]

My kids do Montessori schools from age 3 on, and there the focus is on equality and child directed learning, so the kids call everyone by their first names all the time, from the principal to the bus lady. I like it, I think it does create an equal playing field in which children respect adults that respect children, kwim?

[zinemama]

My kids don't and I have never heard a single other child do so. Isn't that generally a regional thing, though - southern?

[LynnS6]

Well, our neighbor kids do, but that's because my dh and I have different last names and so no one knows what to call me! I usually go by the lead of the person we talk to. I teach my kids "Mr./Ms. Lastname" but if the parents ask for first name, then that's fine by me. But it usually ends up being Mr./Ms. Firstname. It doesn't bother me.

[the_lissa]

Never. I've never heard anyone do it or want to be called that. I find it creepy and odd.

[Lingmom]

I'm usually just "DD's mom" to other children and I feel fine with that. And I'm "mom" to my own kids. I don't like them calling me by my first name. I will always call my mom and dad "mom" and "dad".

I prefer Mr./Ms First name over Mr/Ms. Last name though. It feels less stuffy and more friendly. Just repeat this list over a few times and you'll like it better:

King Arthur
Queen Elizabeth
Pope John Paul
Dr. Phil
Father Patrick
Mother Theresa
Brother John
Sister Maria
Sir Lancelot
Coach Bill
Saint Catherine

[the_lissa]

I don't like Mr/Miss/Etc last name either.

[akwifeandmomma]

Originally Posted by zinemama

Isn't that generally a regional thing, though - southern?

See, I thought it was a Southern thing, but here in Alaska, it's become the norm, at least in my experience.

[Cajunmomma]

I think it's a geographical distinction. I live in the Deep South (Louisiana), and we were always taught to address non-related adults (except some school teachers or ministers) as Miss (or Mrs.--but actually it was always Miss) Firstname or Mr. Firstname. In fact, I never heard any child call adults Miss (or Mrs.) Lastname until I had friends who had grown up in the "North". They were all surprised to hear the Miss or Mr. first name thing from children--most said that that would have been considered rude where they were raised.

I have nieces raised in NYC who refer to adults by their first names alone, and it always strikes me as odd (well, not so much anymore, since they are now adults as well).

Just my experiences.

[Tuesday]

I've not encountered anyone who called me Miss "Firstname" in my life. I think, in theory, it is a polite policy to call someone Mr./Ms./Mrs. Lastname until otherwise asked. BUT, in this day, at least in my world, people don't adopt their husband's last name or they are not married or ... etc. etc.

I pointedly kept my own surname when I was married and I always feel rather strange and slightly irked when someone calls me Mrs. "My husband's last name". I understand the assumption but it mildly irks me.

In any case, my sons are being raised to follow the request of the adult. My friends seem to want to be called by their first names and in fact have specifically requested to not be referred to as Mr or Ms Last Name. I think my friends would absolutely laugh their heads off if my son called any of them Miss Firstname.

[JBaxter]

Im on the MD/PA boarder and the Miss/Mr first name is the norm here. My son has attened Montesorri for 2 yrs and all the teacher are Miss/Ms firstname. Many of my teenage son's friend call me Mrs Baxter. Its a sign of respect in this area

[Quaniliaz]

Hmm - in MN/WI I've never called adults by anything other than their first name, unless asked to (i.e. teachers), and my dd doesn't either. In fact, I don't think I've heard of any child using Mr. firstname or mr. last name.

It would bug me to be called ms first or last name - but I recognize that it is a geographical thing, and would happily do so for others if that is what they preferred.

[loraxc]

DH and I are Northeasterners originally, but we now live in the South and use this convention. I now have come to prefer it over just first name or Ms. Lastname.

[co op mama]

At my dd school the kids call me _____'s mom or Mrs.______ or they call me by my first name. I have an accaintance whose children do the the Miss_____first name and she has actually prompted my kids to do the miss first name thing and I can't stand!

[saimeiyu]

In Hawaii pretty much all the kids call other adults "auntie" or "uncle" instead of mr. or ms. I much prefer that. It's much less... authoritative? I guess.

[journeymom]

I prefer Mrs. Lastname.

Dd's first grade teacher taught them to call all the adult volunteers Mr. or Mrs. Firstname. I don't like it. I appreciate the show of respect, but it sounds funny to me. Dd and friends are in seventh grade now and they either call me by my first name or Mrs. Lastname. Or they don't know what to call me, so they just jump in and start talking.

Years ago the neighbor girl called me Cindy's Mom. Cindy's Mom, can Cindy come to play??

[mamazee]

People do it here, but it's just popped up lately. It sounds very southern to me and it really just grates on my nerves. I wish parents would let their kids just call me by my first name but they seem to think it's more respectful to call me Miss Firstname, even though I hate it. I sound like an 8-year-old pre-Civil War southern girl. Miss Scarlet! Miss Scarlet!

[eclipse]

I don't really like any sort of Miss/Ms/Mrs/Mr in front of first or last name. I teach my kids to address people how they want to be addressed - so if someone introduces themselves as "Ms. Smith," that's what they should call them until told otherwise. At my son's school, they call most of the teachers by Miss/Mr and their first name. Some have different preferences, though, and the kdis adjust. For example, my son has two teachers in his class. One goes by Ms Firstname and the other goes by Mr. First letter of long last name.

[spruce]

My kids do. All of the kids.

Certainly not nails on chalkboard to me. To each their own.

love, penelope

[littlemizflava]

i hate being called miss first or lastname it annoys me. (i have been called by my lastname alone but that is just because my lastname is wicked)
no miss or mr first or last name if i call the person by their first name so can my children but they are taught to address a lady that they dont know as mam and a man as sir....