5.06.2008

What should kids call grownups?

This subject has been on my mind since yesterday afternoon and I brought it up to my mom friends at gymnastics this morning - what should kids call grown ups? Here in the south we often refer to our close friends as Ms such and such. But when should that change - when should my kids start referring to adults by their last names?

This all started for me yesterday when a 14 year old boy addressed me by my first name at the playground. It made me feel old but I have to admit I felt like he should have addressed as Mrs. Potter. Now he may not have known my last name and it's not a big deal it just got me thinking. I feel like kids should refer to adults by their last names - it is a sign of respect and signifies that there are boundaries - that adults are not the same as kids. Now I think that if it is a close friend that is a different story but a random neighbor or acquaintance should be referred to differently. Any thoughts??

1 comment:

Amy said...

Hmmm...I had not thought too much about this...Eve calls everyone by their first name...but mostly b/c the adults that she interacts with are our close friends. That being said, when she starts school she will have to refer to her teachers as Mr. and Mrs. _____. They don't allow them to call them "Amy" or even "Ms. Amy". I guess too it is how they are introduced to the kid as to what they call them.