Is anyone letting their child name the baby?

sophie080208

I was just curious if those of you who already have children are planning on including them in the baby naming process. I have a couple of friends who were named by an older sibling and I think the idea is kinda cute (within reason!)

LMS05

My aunt Sherri named her sister Terri. She liked that name because it rhymes with her name. I think that's really sweet of my grandparents to let Sherri name her sister, but I don't think I'd let my daughter or son do that.

EXL311

No I wouldn't do that unless DC came up with an incredibly awesome name.  One of my friends was allowed to name her little brother and she chose Terrence (Terry).  I might ask the kids what names on our list they like but wouldn't let them just choose on their own.

jebuell

My brother had a hand in naming me.  In that he shot down all the names he didn't like so my parents kept coming up with new ones until he went "Ooh, I like that".  And then when I was 4 he renamed me Hans and to him and everyone else in school I was Hans.  He still calls me that to this day and the few times he's said my real name it was bizarre. 

 So, in conclusion, even if the older sibling doesn't have a hand in naming the baby, they could still come up with a name for them.  And they have more influence on other kids in school then you do. 

jkvoigt

My dad is the youngest of 9, so by that point my grandparents were sick of picking names so one of his brothers chose his first name and another chose his middle name. Seems to have worked out since they didn't name him anything whacky!

Lyssapee

My parents let me and my sister name my brother.  They gave us 3 named to pick from.

Sweden+Canada

My brothers each got to pick a middle name for me (yes I have two middle names, no it has never been a problem). My brothers were 5 and 15 when I was born - and I really love the idea that they got to pick names for me. I would definitely do the same if possible for my future children.

I know that my parents knew what names my brothers liked before they comitted to the idea though and the story might have been a different one if I had turned out to be a boy - the 5 yr old had some pretty horrid boy names on his list.

Rocknmama

It's not something I would do but I know people who have done it. When the time comes I will ask my DD what she thinks of what we have chosen.

EastCoastBride

Being a PART of the process is one thing.  Out and out saying "you get to name your sibling" is another!

ForgetMeNot_815

EastCoastBride:

Being a PART of the process is one thing.  Out and out saying "you get to name your sibling" is another!

This. My SDs have some pretty outrageous ideas when it comes to baby names, I'd never give them full reign to name this baby. The names that we've mentioned to them they don't like, but I still feel that by discussing it with them they were a part of the process.

mrs_tacos

I was allowed to be part of the process when my only sibling was born, and it was a great way to help me feel connected to and excited about the baby since I was five and not thrilled about sharing my parents! I ended up being the one who suggested his name, Andrew, but my parents more asked my opinions and for any suggestions rather than letting me name him myself.

Kendall13

If my sister had let her daughters name their 3rd, his name would have been Pumpkin Fluffy Hearts.

BrideBuddies

Certainly let them "help out" and have a say.  But parents should always have the final say.   That's an adult decision.

Save the kids' picks for puppies and kitties and goldfish.. not siblings.   Thinking back to what I named my pets when I was about 6, a poor sibling would probably be named something ridiculous.

 

 

shyntrue

Kendall13:

If my sister had let her daughters name their 3rd, his name would have been Pumpkin Fluffy Hearts.

LMAO!!!

brookelynpaisley

Ha! This reminds me of an episode of A Baby Story where the parents asked their 3-year-old what he thought they should name his sister. The answer? Garbage truck.

I think if the child were old enough, I like the idea of giving choices. I'd want them to actually feel like they helped pick, so I wouldn't just ask for their thoughts without guidance. My reasoning is that kids tend to name things after stuff, not names. Like my cousin's child, who named her kitten Santa Claus Dinosaur.

 

dpdw

My sister & I got to choose my brother's middle name.  We each suggested a name & my dad picked the winner.  My sister & I were 16 & 17 at the time & we each chose the name of our then current boyfriends, Matthew and Michael.  LOL. My sister won, so my brother is Ryan Matthew.  Not sure why, but we weren't involved in naming our younger sisters.

MissB2MrsD

The sister of an old coworker of mine did this. She let her older 2 daughters name the new baby sister. The 3rd daughters name is Topanga, I kid you not.

I'm thinking this isn't a good idea if you give the kids complete power in the naming process. Allowing them to help would be okay though.

jessicaclare

Definitely not. This baby would probably be Dora, Diego or MaxRuby.

PunkyBooster

Our neighbors tried to involve their DD in naming her little brother but she INSISTED on Elmo. So they gave her a choice between 2 normal names and she still insisted on Elmo. (the kid's name is James...thankfully)

mybobble

My cousin named her little sister. We were all afraid that she would pick some silly made up name since she gave all of her imaginary friends these made up names. She ended up picking Sarah which everyone liked. She was 5 when her sister was born.

RFBsbride

I've never posted on this board before (I'm from the TTC board), but I just wanted to chime in on this one.... I have a friend whose mother let her pick the name of her baby sister.  The name she chose?  Kate Cinderella - honest to God.  I've seen the birth certificate.  So, it might be best to give your child a list to choose from and not give them free reign on choosing the name.

Good luck!

a2t

Not unless my 2 year old comes up with an amazing name...yesterday when I asked what she wanted to name the baby she said SYRUP! So won't be happening in our house at least. I think it depends on the child's age and what they recommend.

kaitde

My son's suggestions were Mermaid and Jacob... haha maybe if he was a little bit older!

SpartanGirl

DD suggested Little Little.  So, no, she won't be helping.  We do ask her if she likes certain names we've thought of.  She pretty much says yes to everything.

BlessedMommy723

One of my students last year was allowed to chose the mn of his baby sister. He chose Rainbow. Her legal name is Lauren Rainbow.... It's not absolutely horrible, but I wouldn't really want that as my mn either!

mrsc720

I think I would be more likely to let my older child help narrow it down (Evan or Dylan?). I know my niece Madison wanted to name her sister Madison (yep.... same name, then again she was only 3 or so). She also wanted to name her brother Bluejay... I love kids!