Calling parents by their Christian names

As an autistic adult I fully understand this. I have always called my parents by their name, it's very hard to process anything else that's who they are. Of course I understand they are my parents but they have an identity. It's also easier in busy places, family gatherings etc because if I was to shout mum half a dozen people could respond. I've called my parents by their names since childhood. I was always questioned as a child in the 80's or 90's and it was never by my own parents but other people making out I was disrespectful. Yet my parents fully understood it. They always defended me as I now do with my son who calls me and his dad by our names. I will not abide anyone who dares tell my child that it's not ok, because it is to me. It doesn't change how he loves and respects me in fact I feel I try to have one of the most respectful young pre-teens out there.

My adult daughter called me by my Christian name last week, she said “Sarah, you’re not listening”! Made us all burst out laughing 😆 as she always calls me Mum.

I find it most odd that my grandchildren (both in primary school) call their parents by their first names. It seems to be a trend nowadays 😔

We survived and thrived autumncolours. I was just 64 when I joined this forum. I couldn’t quite believe I’d somehow reached the age in the Beatles song. 12 years later ……

Thanks for your kind comment and sorry you had a similar experience iam64. Btw I AM 64!

It’s a personal choice and irritating that some feel they’ve the right to judge others for something so unimportant in the scale of ‘stuff’

I think there are quite a few of us that like to be called by our own names on this thread.
...and probably more who don't.

I think it’s strange to still be calling your parents “Mummy” and “Daddy” once you’re into your teens. I am “Grandma” too, not Nan or Nanny. Definitely strange to use a parent’s “given” name rather than Mum or Dad. But as my own Mum often said “It wouldn’t do if we were all the same!”

What a sad experience autumncolours. I foolishly married very young. My parents were called by their first names by new (temp) husband. His mother insisted I call them mr or Mrs or mum and dad. I avoided both

I always called my parents Mummy and Daddy when small, then Mum and Dad as an adult. When we got married my PILs insisted I must call them Mum and Dad. I politely asked if I could call them by their first names as I already had a mum and dad but they said no and were furious saying I’d been disrespectful in asking. They then marched out of our house! Soon afterwards my mum died suddenly and early the next morning the phone rang. I answered and heard ‘Hello, it’s Mum’. I felt pleased it was my mum and was about to chat when I remembered and realised it couldn’t be her. I burst into tears and handed the phone to my husband. I called PIL ‘you’ after that!

My grandchildren all call me by my first name. I like it!

Both my sons called us by our first names , never ever Mum and Dad.
Very useful in crowded places.
I've been watching some ancient DVDs recently, of the boys aged about 10 and 12 and yelling "Wendy" at me.

Mojack26

Totally weird and 'woke'

You may think it 'weird', but I don't think it's 'woke'.

Definition: Being woke means being aware… knowing what's going on in the community (related to racism and social injustice). In other words, it means to be awake to sensitive social issues, such as racism.

Met son at a noisy rail station recently. He called “Mum!”across the crowds several times. No luck. When he shouted “Shazam”, I finally heard him.

Whatever a person accepts being called is what it will be. If a person doesn't prefer to be addressed by their first name, they need to just say, " Please call me ......." ~ and do it each time that person uses their first name.

Baggs

Mojack26

Totally weird and 'woke'

Did 'woke' exist in the 1980s?

Mojack26 -different views are allowed . My view is your comment is weird and rude

I never wanted to be called "Mum". Yes, the relationship is important but what you call your mum, unless it's rude, doesn't change the relationship.

Mojack26

Totally weird and 'woke'

Did 'woke' exist in the 1980s?

I don't think it's strange for offspring to call their parents by their first names. My kids always have from babyhood onwards. Didn't cause any problems.

My grandkids use my first name too.

I like my name. It would be a pity to waste it

For goodness sake, I live in the UK, in England actually and will continue to call peoples first name
their Christian name unless I know otherwise. It’s not disrespectful it’s what it’s always been here.
I find it odd when middle aged and older refer to their parents as Mummy and Daddy, that seems wrong.

I don't have a problem with the term 'Christian name'. We all know what it means don't we!
Calling parents by their given names: hmm, a bit tricky in family WhatsApp groups! The late Queen (ER II) called her mother 'Mummy' and that's good enough for me.

I had a cousin who always called his parents by their first names and we all thought it was odd.

My DGD is nearly 6. Recently she was talking about me going into her school to help. She said “My teacher will call you Chicklette. Is that ok?” Bless her. I told her that’s my name and that’s what other adults call me.

None of your business if the parents are agreeable.

Wendywe may be as you point out 'a Christian country', but not everyone in Great Britain is a Christian.
The 2021 census tells us that 46% are Christians. 38% no religion. The remaining percentage is made up of Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and Jewish people, or 'of another relgion'.
I doubt that any of those people would refer to their first or forename as their Christian name, why should they? It's fine if you consider yourself to be a Christian, but we can't impose the title on others these days.

Nothing odd about that in Denmark, although it is not very usual, but since the seventies some children have called their parents and aunts and uncles by their given names.

I think a lot of DILs and SIL use their parents-in-laws given name in preference to addressing them as "svigermor" = MIL and "svigerfar" = FIL, which formerly was the done thing here, at least until the young couple had children, when most grandparents were addressed as such, even by their own children and children-in-law.

What does sound odd to me is hearing a son- or daughter-in-law addressing parents-in-law by their given names whils his or her spouse still addresses their parents as mum and dad, or the equivalent.