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You are here: Home / Momlife / Stealing Baby Names

Stealing Baby Names

October 19, 2017 By Kari 1 Comment

Are you a tad bit territorial over your kids’ names? I’ll be honest: I don’t want anyone having the same name as my kid. Now, I get that this is far from realistic but it comes from a good place.

When we were pregnant with Wyatt, there were a few friends and acquaintances also expecting at the same time. I would breathe a sigh of relief every time a baby announcement came and went without our chosen name being announced. So much thought and love goes into choosing what you’ll name your child, so I understand why this can be a touchy subject for some people (myself included). Perhaps you’re using a family name with special meaning, or maybe you and your spouse could only agree on one name and this was the one. To have someone else swipe “your” name can be really discouraging.

Why am I talking about this now? Well, friends of ours gave their beautiful baby boy a very unique name with an even more unique spelling. I’m talking UNIQUE. I had never heard of this name before. Several months later, an acquaintance of theirs posted a picture of her newborn boy on Instagram with the exact same name…and the exact same spelling. It was an obvious rip-off. This, my friends, takes some serious guts. Easier to pull off, obviously, with the more common, mainstream names, but with something so unique – c’mon. Our friends were gracious and wrote their congratulations on the posted photo (a comment that was never replied to), but they had to vent about it to us. While a tiny part of you is flattered someone loved “your” name so much, shouldn’t this person have spoken with you about it first? Shouldn’t they have asked or at least given you the heads up? “We love the name you picked so much and really feel connected to it. Would you mind if we used it too?” You might complain in private but I’m sure there are few people who would say no to this question. After some discussion with friends and pooling together our advice, here are a few potential scenarios and what to do about it.

If a close friend flat out steals your name: whether it’s before or after your baby was born, and you had told them this was “your” name, there needs to be a conversation. Wait until those pregnancy hormones have calmed down first, but if you value the relationship, chat about it before resentment sets in. Ask why they chose the name. Tell them it kind of bothers you. (Bring wine for this conversation.)

If an acquaintance steals your name: First, consider that it could be a total coincidence. Try to give the person the benefit of the doubt. Also, maybe they saw your name and really felt connected to it. It is likely coming from a good place. Also, remind yourself that you’re not really running in the same circles anyway, so there’s a slim chance of this being rubbed in your face on a daily basis.

If a family member uses a family name after you told them you were going to. Cut them out of your will. (Kidding.) Again, a conversation HAS to happen. If you still love the name and want to use it, you could consider it for a middle name, but give them the heads up.

Keep in mind, while a name is special to your kid’s identity, it’s their characteristics and little personalities that will make them who they are.

What do you think? Has this happened to you? I would love to know how you handled it!

 

 

Other parenting topics to check out:

Eating Together at the Table 

10 Parenting Time Savers

No More Birthday Presents?

xx

Related

Filed Under: Momlife, Parenting

Comments

  1. Judi Gray says

    October 20, 2017 at 2:09 pm

    Kari, the best thing to do is don’t tell anybody what names you are thinking of for your unborn child. That highly reduces the chance that someone will copy your unique name and/or unique spelling and everyone gets a lovely surprise when you tell them after the baby is born.

    Reply

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Actually listened to the lyrics while Miss. Rachel was on.🙈 Side note- i love her.

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#motherhoodjourney #wheelsonthebus #1950scalled
Feel this? ⬆️ Share if you do. ❤️ You kno Feel this? ⬆️ Share if you do. ❤️

You know what drains a kid's emotional cup - being overscheduled. We've lived it and I'm here to say it's SO MUCH BETTER on the other side.

📍Last year, our goal was to give our oldest (now 8) every opportunity to try things to figure out what he loved. His schedule was packed with activities (I realize this is a privileged point). We were running - sometimes literally - from school to activity every night of the week and on weekends.

📍Fast-forward to this year - he has so much more time to just be a kid and we're all happier! He's picked a couple of things he's passionate about, but we've cut so much out and now most of our after-school time is open. Maybe we'll run an errand, maybe we'll come home and hang out, maybe we'll play at the park with friends and get ice cream. 

✨️ If one day he decides he wants to pour more time into one of his passions - we support that, but for now this is it and it's awesome! 

➡️ Have you lived this? How do you balance wanting to expose your kid to different activities so they find what they love with wanting your kids to just be a kid? Share below.

this video ⬆️ is from @fairmontjpl's Lac Beauvert. On every summer visit, Wyatt and I have a tradition of renting a kayak from The Boathouse and cruising the lake. 

❤️ Follow @kariskelton for more motherhood moments and helpful Reels to make your journey a little easier and even more enjoyable. Send me a DM to say hi. 

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This ⬆️ make you want to be a better parent? M This ⬆️ make you want to be a better parent? Makes me want to be a better human. ✨️✨️

Words by @wordsof_emmaheaphy 

📍Save this to come back to and share with your friends in motherhood. Be sure to check out my Reel two back on 'Glimmers' - that one has helped me with the tough days.❤️❤️

➡️ Follow @kariskelton for more motherhood moments and helpful Reels to make your journey a little easier and even more enjoyable. Send me a DM to say hi. 👋

#motherhoodjourney #momquote #parentingquotes
🚨Two Laundry Hacks!🚨 Share this with a frien 🚨Two Laundry Hacks!🚨 Share this with a friend who could use some laundry help. 🤗

➡️ Do you hate laundry? Love it? I love washing and hanging. My husband is definitely better at folding. ❤️

Tip 1️⃣ has been a game-changer. Fresh laundry and no stinky clothes that have been sitting too long. I schedule mine to end when our baby naps so I can get to it right away. 

Tip 2️⃣ if you want wrinkle-free clothes that don't wear down as quickly - take your clothes from the wash and throw in the dryer for 5-8 mins only and then hang to dry. I do this for everything but stuff that is workout pant or bathing suit material (that goes straight on the rack).

The little time on the dryer is just enough to take the wrinkles out without shrinking or compromising the longevity of your items.

Towels, blankets, and sheets do go in the dryer for a full round. 

Did this help? 

❤️ Follow @kariskelton for more motherhood moments and helpful Reels to make your journey a little easier and even more enjoyable. Send me a DM to say hi! 👋

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kariskelton

Who can we call to get these lyrics changed? 😄 Who can we call to get these lyrics changed? 😄 ... but seriously? 

Actually listened to the lyrics while Miss. Rachel was on.🙈 Side note- i love her.

 What else needs changing? ⬇️
#motherhoodjourney #wheelsonthebus #1950scalled
Feel this? ⬆️ Share if you do. ❤️ You kno Feel this? ⬆️ Share if you do. ❤️

You know what drains a kid's emotional cup - being overscheduled. We've lived it and I'm here to say it's SO MUCH BETTER on the other side.

📍Last year, our goal was to give our oldest (now 8) every opportunity to try things to figure out what he loved. His schedule was packed with activities (I realize this is a privileged point). We were running - sometimes literally - from school to activity every night of the week and on weekends.

📍Fast-forward to this year - he has so much more time to just be a kid and we're all happier! He's picked a couple of things he's passionate about, but we've cut so much out and now most of our after-school time is open. Maybe we'll run an errand, maybe we'll come home and hang out, maybe we'll play at the park with friends and get ice cream. 

✨️ If one day he decides he wants to pour more time into one of his passions - we support that, but for now this is it and it's awesome! 

➡️ Have you lived this? How do you balance wanting to expose your kid to different activities so they find what they love with wanting your kids to just be a kid? Share below.

this video ⬆️ is from @fairmontjpl's Lac Beauvert. On every summer visit, Wyatt and I have a tradition of renting a kayak from The Boathouse and cruising the lake. 

❤️ Follow @kariskelton for more motherhood moments and helpful Reels to make your journey a little easier and even more enjoyable. Send me a DM to say hi. 

#parentingjourney #overshedulingkids #letkidsbekids
This ⬆️ make you want to be a better parent? M This ⬆️ make you want to be a better parent? Makes me want to be a better human. ✨️✨️

Words by @wordsof_emmaheaphy 

📍Save this to come back to and share with your friends in motherhood. Be sure to check out my Reel two back on 'Glimmers' - that one has helped me with the tough days.❤️❤️

➡️ Follow @kariskelton for more motherhood moments and helpful Reels to make your journey a little easier and even more enjoyable. Send me a DM to say hi. 👋

#motherhoodjourney #momquote #parentingquotes
🚨Two Laundry Hacks!🚨 Share this with a frien 🚨Two Laundry Hacks!🚨 Share this with a friend who could use some laundry help. 🤗

➡️ Do you hate laundry? Love it? I love washing and hanging. My husband is definitely better at folding. ❤️

Tip 1️⃣ has been a game-changer. Fresh laundry and no stinky clothes that have been sitting too long. I schedule mine to end when our baby naps so I can get to it right away. 

Tip 2️⃣ if you want wrinkle-free clothes that don't wear down as quickly - take your clothes from the wash and throw in the dryer for 5-8 mins only and then hang to dry. I do this for everything but stuff that is workout pant or bathing suit material (that goes straight on the rack).

The little time on the dryer is just enough to take the wrinkles out without shrinking or compromising the longevity of your items.

Towels, blankets, and sheets do go in the dryer for a full round. 

Did this help? 

❤️ Follow @kariskelton for more motherhood moments and helpful Reels to make your journey a little easier and even more enjoyable. Send me a DM to say hi! 👋

#laundryhack #laundry101 #momtips #laundrytips
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