How do your kids refer to other adults?

[mommaU4]

Do they call them Sir or Ma'am? Or Mr. So and So or Mrs. So and So? Do they call aunts and uncles by their names or with the aunt and uncle part first?

I'm asking because we have friends who are very proper with their daughter and they told her to refer to me as Mrs. (my last name). Well, to me that just made me feel old!!! I don't know why but it sounded weird. I told her just to call me Beth.

And my kids have extended family here that they just call by their names. But it's not an issue. In fact if they went around calling them by the proper way most of them would have a fit. My aunt does not want them calling her Great-Aunt Mary even though that's what she is to them. She says she would feel ancient, so they just call her Mary.

Just curious how others handle it?

 

[poohandwendy]

My kids call most adults Mr or Mrs________.

My kids call the aunts and uncles that they are very close to by their first names only, as their relationship is really casual. They call the others by Aunt or Uncle.

They basically go by what makes the adult more comfortable. If they insist on a first name basis, the kids follow suit.

 

[Stacerita]

The sweetpea calls my brother and SIL Uncle ___ and aunt _____. She calls my friends by their names as thats how they were introduced to her. Those who are introduced as MR or MRS she will refer to them as such. We almost never use Sir or Mam.

When the OP mentioned how her friends daughter was told to refer to her as MRS____ but that made her feel old, I could totally relate. When I accompany the sweetpea on school field trips the teacher usually tells the class to call me MS_____. I usually will go ahead and tell the small group I am incharge of to call me by my first name or MS.first name.

We are not formal like that and usually use first names when addressing people. The only reason why my brother and SIL use aunt and uncle is because they were really proud to be aunt and uncle. Sometimes though, its dropped and their first names only are used.

I think it just depends on the family and how comfortable and relaxed they are about using titles.

 

[princesspumpkin]

I have Dd refer to people as Mr or Mrs. first name. Since some people get offended when a child refers to them by only their first name, I find it safe to do this (and if the adult prefers differently, then she will adjust herself accordingly). Nowadays, I think children don't learn respect for adults, and differentiating them from their peers helps instill it.

 

[SunFloridaDisney]

My kids refer to adults as Mr. or Mrs._________. Aunts and uncles they use those titles. I think it signifies respect. They have to do that at school, I like it.

As far as other kids calling me Mrs. D., I agree at first it sounded odd, and I thought, I can't be old!! But I am a mom, and I realized the other kids were taught to be respectful by their parents, I prefer being called Mrs. D___ than some other things (Hey you....)

There are a few people my kids call by first name, for example when they were little and went to a home daycare provider, they called her by name, since she was so close to them.

 

[tkd lisa]

What I have taught my kids is this:

Family members are called by Aunt ____, Uncle _____.
Adults you have just met are called Mr. and Mrs _______.
Adults who encourage you to call them by their first name are called Mr. First Name or Ms. First Name. My kids are never allowed to just call any adult by their first name (only exception is their youth group leaders, and they are only early 20s and really want to be called first name only).

I ask my kids friends to call me Ms. Lisa. That's what my tae kwon do students called me, so I'm used to it! Mrs. ______ throws me, since that's my MIL!

 

[Loubon]

By their screen names.

 

[Kitty 34]

Usually Mr. and Mrs.

 

[Nite0wl71]

If they are relatives Aunt and Uncle. The only time Mr., Mrs., or Miss was used was with the first names when they went to the Park District programs.

I can't think of anyone, outside of their teachers, who they call Mr. etc with their last name.

All of our adult friends want them to just use their first name.

My DD12 is an Aunt and she is teaching the girls to call her Aunt Stacey

 

[eeyoreiscool]

We usually try for Mr. or Mrs. and their first name. Relatives are called by whatever title and their first name, except for grandparents.

 

[Disney Ella]

They call our friends and our next door neighbors by their first names. The parents of kids at school, they call Mr. or Mrs. Kids we don't know well call me "Mrs." I'm not a formal person, and would actually prefer to called by my first name by young and old alike.

Aunts and uncles on DH's side they call "Aunt xxx" and Uncle xxx." My family never got into the whole aunt and uncle thing, so they just call them by their names.

 

[Pixiedust34]

I think that adult titles vary by region.

I've found that in the South, it's more common to use Mr. (insert first name) and Mrs. (insert first name) than it is to use Mr. and Mrs. with last names.

Around here, everyone does the Mr. (first name) and Mrs. (first name), so that's what our kids do. Otherwise, they'd be the only kids at a gathering who say "Mr. Smith" instead of "Mr. John."

 

[luvmydogs]

When I lived in PA, children referred to everyone as Mr. or Mrs.-----.

When I moved down South, I was surprised to learn that most children called me Miss Kim, and my dh Mr. Dave--that we really had to get used to! Ds10 says that, and also uses ma'am and sir, which I've found more prevalent here.

When in Rome...

 

[slo]

For us, it depends on who my 7yr old is talking too and how well we know them.

My neighbors, who are young, in their 20's - she calls them Mr. firstname, and Mrs. firstname. I like having Mr. & Mrs. attached, shows respect (IMO).

My brother and his wife - she calls them Uncle firstname and Aunt firstname

The Grandparents - she calls them Grandma or Grandpa firstname.

People, regardless of their age, who she barely knows - Mr. or Mrs lastname.

Godparents - she calls them Aunt or Uncle firstname

 

[slo]

By their screen names.

 

[aprilgail2]

Aunt and Uncles usually are Aunt Lisa, Unlce Don etc...as long as they are REALLY her uncle..I hate the calling people that are not real relatives uncle and aunts....otherwise other than teacehrs we go by first names...I introduce myself to her friends by my first name so they know to call me it...I detest being called "Miss aprilgail"...all that Miss and Mrs stuff is way to formal for us, I want to be approchable to her friends and someone that they feel comfortable with and most of her classmates and friends parents like to be called by their first names too.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Mr/Miss plus first name.

At our homeschool co-op more formality is expected, so it is Mr/Mrs plus Surname for adults and Mr/Miss plus first name for our teenagers who might be working or volunteering with the younger children. This applies even if you have a familiar relationship outside of the co-op due to friendships or whatever.

Etiquette indicates using formalities--and if a person says they are more comfortable being called something else then to use that name instead. You prefer being called Beth and proper manners indicate that the girl should abide by your wishes.

I was leader of a lector ministry and this teenager joined. He always called me Mrs. ______ . I had to remind him repeatedly that he didn't have to do it as I was not old enough to be his mother (okay--technically I was) and we did a musical together and he called me by my first name there. One day I just finally said I was uncomfortable and it wouldn't be rude if he called me by my first name. Every now and then he catches himself.

It made me feel *old*.

We haven't worked on sir or ma'am yet. I will teach my kids that for outside of the home. For some reason I feel it shouldn't be used inside the home. We are teaching respectful responses--just not those ones.

Relations we do require Aunt/Uncle. Though sometimes they forget.

 

[jonestavern]

Mr/Mrs/Ms/Miss aunts & uncles are usually called Auntie or Uncle____.
Like Op if the adult insists on a 1st name then it is, for example, Mr Keith or Ms Miranda--
I do expect the young persons I work with to address me as Mrs G____. In return I will refer to them as Miss/Ms-- or Mr---; they all seem to like it.
As a young woman working in a book store, in the mid-eighties we were given badges with our 1st names on them, I changed mine to Miss K------. Everyone thought it was 'cute', neither management or the customers were bothered by my preferences

Jean

 

[barkley]

mr/mrs/miss-unless the adult insists on being called by their first name.
uncle/aunt x.

we have one friend that for some reason the kid's have tagged as "mr. uncle john" (i guess it denotes formality with a familial flair )

i always look around for my mil when i hear someone call me "mrs x"-but most of the kids at my kid's school call me "spencer's mom" (those occasionaly i get a "mrs. spencer's mom" .

 

[mickeyboat]

They refer to most adults by their first names, unless it is someone we don't know well. Aunts and Uncles are Aunt X and Uncle X.

The girls are in K and asked me what their teachers' first names were. I told them. So they started refering to them at home as First Name Mrs. Last Name. I got a kick out of it!

Denae