I posted this elsenet, too

[maevele]

The almost 2 and a half year old hates her name, insists it is not her name, and gets ornery if you call her by it. At least now she has settled in to using the same replacement name for, geez, a couple of months now, maybe 3 months, whereas before she was switching what she could be called every few days, including a lot of "I don't have a name. Don't call me anything" days. And it's been going on all together for at least 5 months now.

But yeah, she says her name isn't a good name for her, and insists on being called Dora.

Anyone else have a kid who hates their name? Or just refuses their name? And how do you handle it? People in public think I actually named her frikking Dora.

Comments

[haddayr.livejournal.com]

My sister sacwentie announced when she was three that she had a different name.

She still uses it; it's on nearly all of her legal documents. She's 36.

Um, should I be posting? This isn't reassuring, is it?

[naomikritzer]

From what you told me about your sisters' given names, she was showing extraordinary good sense at a precociously young age.

[haddayr.livejournal.com]

HA

[naomikritzer]

I used to change my name regularly. For a while I wanted to be Cathy, because my favorite preschool teacher's name was Cathy, and I also remember wanted to be called Annabelle and Arabella at various points. I did eventually get to like my real name.

[kittikattie.livejournal.com]

I went through a stage where I wanted to be called Rainbow Bright.

We generally get over it.

[trinityva.livejournal.com]

I eventually got over it, though I do think there are reasons I chose the "new" name I toyed with that actually still apply...

[seaya.livejournal.com]

It's the Dora part I think as a parent that would give me pause, like my kid naming herself after a popular fictional character. There's nothing wrong with the name on its face, it's just the context. She's so headstrong for so young. Maybe if you tell her that it makes you sad (if indeed it does) that she doesn't like the name you gave her she might think about it. Otherwise, wait it out, I guess :(.

[maevele.livejournal.com]

I've tol her I thought it was a good name when I picked it, but if she doesn't like it, I'm not going to push. My name doesn't fit me, I just don't feel comfortable changing it, so I'm not going to stand in her way, kwim?

The other name she liked last was "boobie" so even though it's a media reference, Dora is an improvement.

[raanve]

My niece went through a period between, I think, 4-7 when she refused to be called by her given name and wanted to be called "Hunter". Most of her family members refused to pay her any attention; it made her really happy when I just called her Hunter without giving her any guff.

She's 10 now, and back to her given name.

I really disliked my name growing up, because there were a million Jessicas. I doubt that's the case with your small one, but I eventually settled into mine (once I took ownership of it by discarding my mom's "no nick names" rule and going by Jess).

[azzy23.livejournal.com]

I detested my name growing up. I'm 32 now, and I think maybe in the last 2 years I've begun really liking my name.