What's Hot

    Treat Yourself: Festa Italiana returns for its 25th year

    September 1, 2023

    315 Bulletin

    September 1, 2023

    Kate Laissle, Director of Education at Syracuse Stage

    September 1, 2023
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Trending
    • Treat Yourself: Festa Italiana returns for its 25th year
    • 315 Bulletin
    • Kate Laissle, Director of Education at Syracuse Stage
    • Explore CNY: Cortland is home to a nature center, a theatre, and a Guinness World Record holder
    • Homework Habits: How to Motivate Kids
    • After-School Activities and Programs in CNY
    • Syracuse Stage Celebrates 50th Season
    • Fun, Educational Websites You Won’t Want Your Kids to Miss
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Family TimesFamily Times
    • Community Guide
    • Things to Do in CNY
      1. Central New York Events
      2. Activities
      3. Treat Yourself
      Featured

      Treat Yourself: Festa Italiana returns for its 25th year

      By Courtney KlessSeptember 1, 20230
      Recent

      Treat Yourself: Festa Italiana returns for its 25th year

      September 1, 2023

      Explore CNY: Cortland is home to a nature center, a theatre, and a Guinness World Record holder

      September 1, 2023

      Treat Yourself: Right Mind Syracuse hosts one-session art workshops at local venues

      August 1, 2023
    • Parenting
      1. Pregnancy
      2. Babies
      3. Kids
      4. Preschoolers/Toddlers
      5. Special Needs
      6. Teens
      7. Pets
      8. View All

      The Power to Save a Life: Cord blood is being used to treat more than 80 diseases

      January 30, 2020

      It’s Not What It Looks Like: Reflections on motherhood’s changes, outside and inside

      July 29, 2019

      In Search of Sleep: 8 Strategies for coping with wakeful babies

      July 29, 2019

      A Surgical Birth: Many pregnant women are likely to deliver by cesarean

      July 29, 2019

      Strangers Bearing Advice: New babies bring out the expert in everyone

      August 1, 2021

      Hand to Mouth: How to help babies start to sample solid food

      August 1, 2020

      315 Bulletin

      August 1, 2020

      Name, Please? Expectant parents face another momentous decision

      August 1, 2020

      Prep Work: Keep your family’s food safe this summer

      June 1, 2022

      A Blooming Craft: These homemade flowers make a great centerpiece

      March 1, 2021

      Rainbow Snowflakes: A colorful craft even little ones can make

      November 24, 2020

      DIY Critter Magnets: Make cute clips for hanging reminders and more

      September 1, 2020

      DIY Critter Magnets: Make cute clips for hanging reminders and more

      September 1, 2020

      Allergy Adjustments: Parents can support their food allergic child

      September 3, 2019

      Calming Commotion: How to deal with car sickness and more

      June 27, 2019

      Introducing Riff Rockit: Kindie artist to play jingles at Leon Fest

      June 1, 2017

      A History of Inclusion: The Jowonio School marked 50 years in 2019

      March 30, 2020

      Reaching a Milestone: Now the largest chapter in the country, Special Olympics New York is celebrating 50 years

      March 30, 2020

      Come Out and Play: Move Along offers adaptive sports for youth, adults

      March 30, 2020

      Let’s Get Together: Remaking classrooms so all students are included

      September 3, 2019

      Prep Work: Keep your family’s food safe this summer

      June 1, 2022

      A Little Jolt: Caffeine’s risks for kids and teens

      March 1, 2021

      A Blooming Craft: These homemade flowers make a great centerpiece

      March 1, 2021

      Environmental Club: Auburn Junior High School

      January 30, 2020

      Furry Friends: What it takes to adopt a pet for the first time

      July 1, 2020

      Tail Wagging Fun: Lights on the Lake Dog Walk 2019

      November 14, 2019

      Uncommon Companions: Local pet store sticks to its niche

      May 30, 2019

      Dog Food for Thought: Trying to keep your pet from your plate

      May 30, 2019

      Homework Habits: How to Motivate Kids

      September 1, 2023

      After-School Activities and Programs in CNY

      September 1, 2023

      Fun, Educational Websites You Won’t Want Your Kids to Miss

      September 1, 2023

      Take the Stress Out of School Mornings

      August 31, 2023
    • Health
      1. Child Development
      2. Food
      3. Nutrition
      4. The “Recipe Doctor”
      5. View All

      Financial Literacy for Families: How parents can teach children, teens about money management

      April 1, 2022

      Strangers Bearing Advice: New babies bring out the expert in everyone

      August 1, 2021

      Choosing a Daycare: Learn As You Grow’s Joshua LaGrow offers some tips for finding the right fit

      August 1, 2021

      A Little Jolt: Caffeine’s risks for kids and teens

      March 1, 2021

      Berries and Cream Croissant Breakfast Casserole

      June 1, 2023

      Prep Work: Keep your family’s food safe this summer

      June 1, 2022

      Nutrition in No Time: Are you always on the go? These tips will help you stay on track.

      January 1, 2022

      Easy Holiday Recipes: Are you searching for some new dishes this season? These are some of our favorites.

      November 1, 2021

      Nutrition in No Time: Are you always on the go? These tips will help you stay on track.

      January 1, 2022

      Liking Lunch: Best bets for serving kids a delicious, nutritious meal

      September 1, 2021

      A Little Jolt: Caffeine’s risks for kids and teens

      March 1, 2021

      Better Choices: How about a resolution to eat vegetables and other nutritious foods?

      January 1, 2021

      Best Friend’s Treats: Bake up some special dog biscuits

      June 1, 2018

      Colorful Soup in a Jar: Give the gift of winter comfort

      December 1, 2015

      Berry Good! Use a summer favorite in this ice cream

      July 1, 2015

      Flapjack Fever: Even pancakes can be a healthy breakfast

      June 1, 2015

      Treat Yourself: Festa Italiana returns for its 25th year

      September 1, 2023

      Treat Yourself: Right Mind Syracuse hosts one-session art workshops at local venues

      August 1, 2023

      Treat Yourself: Oswego Harborfest returns with food, live music and children’s activities

      June 28, 2023

      Treat Yourself: Explore restored wetlands, more at Canastota’s Great Swamp Conservancy

      June 1, 2023
    • Travel
    • Education
      1. Educator of the Month
      2. Class of the Month
      3. Education News
      4. Reading
      5. Teaching
      Featured

      Kate Laissle, Director of Education at Syracuse Stage

      By Courtney KlessSeptember 1, 20230
      Recent

      Kate Laissle, Director of Education at Syracuse Stage

      September 1, 2023

      Annie Gordon, Education Program Coordinator at the Sciencenter

      July 31, 2023

      Stephanie Waldron, Director of Environmental Risk Assessment for the Onondaga County Health Department

      June 28, 2023
    • Crafts & DIY
      • Create
      • Holiday Crafts
    Family TimesFamily Times
    Home»Parenting»Babies»Name, Please? Expectant parents face another momentous decision
    Babies

    Name, Please? Expectant parents face another momentous decision

    Neil DavisBy Neil DavisAugust 1, 2020No Comments5 Mins Read
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    You thought of everything. You painted ducks in the nursery, mapped out a route to the hospital and downed prenatal vitamins like they were Tic Tacs. You researched pediatricians and became an expert in car seats. You even calculated what Harvard will cost in 2038. You took every step that an expectant parent should take in preparing for a new baby. But did you truly stop to appreciate the most challenging duty you agreed to undertake when you and your spouse got pregnant: naming that baby?

    What’s in a name? Everything. Or so I thought before my daughter was born. I pictured my child’s name as a tattoo that she would wear forever, on her forehead in flashing neon. Every name seemed to come with an underlying connotation that could shape the way the world would view my child. No, not every Phineas will grow up to be a tax attorney and not every Moonglow will live in a commune making friendship bracelets. But inherent perceptions will persist nonetheless.

    As parents, you get to decide whether your little ones spend eternity introducing themselves as Spencer or Spartacus, Scarlett or Sahara. So you should take seriously the responsibility you have to grant your child a name that has meaning and influence, a name that will set them apart from the crowd while also making them fit in, a name that suits not just that baby in the bassinette but also the adult that you hope they will someday become. At the very least, you should put in more effort than you did in naming your first car.

    Advertisement

    “It just feels like a Bandit, doesn’t it?” perhaps you said, revving the engine.

    It seems unwise to take the same casual approach in naming a child. Those first few sleepless nights unfold in a torrent of screaming and digestive distress, only some of which comes from your baby. It’s hardly an atmosphere for making rational decisions; it’s a good idea to make sure that you and your spouse are on the same page long before the first diaper change clouds your judgment. “She just feels like a Calamity, doesn’t she?”

    I’ve only participated in naming one child, so I’m no expert. That was in 2002 and a lot has changed. There were fewer kids named after cities and nouns. Poppy was a flower and Griffin was a mythological beast. Asher, Scout, Ryder and Knox were barely on the map. Not that there is anything wrong with those names. It’s just that the name pool seemed shallower back then, intensifying one’s desire to pull a name from the deep end.

    My daughter arrived shortly after Emily and Jacob had climbed to the top of the most-popular-baby-name lists. Those names were instantly vetoed, as were the rest of the top 10 in an effort to avoid their expected overexposure. Sophia the First isn’t just a TV show, it’s also the nickname of a girl in every classroom across America. She sits right in front of Sophias the Second and Third, alongside enough Noahs to fill an ark. Sharing a name seems harmless until your child suffers the consequences, giving his classmates cause to point out his more distinguishing characteristics.

    “I’m Jacob-with-the-ears in math class,” your son will say with an unaware smile. “But in gym they just call me Jacob-who-runs-funny.”

    In other words, a little originality can go a long way. The key phrase there is “a little.” Too much originality can overshoot the goal in the form of confounding spelling or gratuitous punctuation. I give kudos to the parents bold enough to try something new, but I also wonder if Chayce will tire of always having to spell his name or if Brit’nee will be upset that hers never appears among the souvenir keychains. Innovative names can walk that narrow line between chic and ridiculous, and I feared that any attempt I made would lean toward the latter.

    “It’s pronounced just like the Pokemon character,” I imagined my daughter having to explain. “But the semi-colon is silent, and that’s a soft Q.”

    The same year my daughter was born, Ross and Rachel named their Friends baby Emma. By no small coincidence, Emma instantly shot into the top five girl names where it remained until recently. That’s just one example, but it drives home the point that baby name popularity can be dictated by the unpredictable currents of pop culture. The next big name could emerge from Duck Dynasty or Game of Thrones, seemingly opposite ends of the entertainment spectrum. Someplace in between is likely where the perfect name lies. You just have to find it.

    Of course, my daughter already has it, in my (completely unbiased) opinion. She might not have been born a Sadie but she has certainly grown into one, and now I can’t imagine her being anything but. It seems unlikely that she will wake up one day and say, “I really feel more like a Penelope.”

    So maybe it’s not about finding the perfect name. Maybe the true goal is in realizing that a name is just a name, no matter how modern or conventional. We watch as our children grow to fulfill our every expectation, slowly becoming the Quinn or Ezra or Gracie that we always dreamed they would be. We give them names at birth but, in the end, those names do not define their character so much as their character will eventually define their names.

    babies Expectant Parents First Person Newborns
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Tumblr Email
    Neil Davis

    Related Posts

    Nap Know-How

    July 31, 2023

    Fertility is a Journey. Here’s Mine.

    November 1, 2021

    Strangers Bearing Advice: New babies bring out the expert in everyone

    August 1, 2021
    Flip Through Our Latest Issue!
    Stay In Touch
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    Top Posts

    Summer Activities Guide

    June 1, 2023147 Views

    DIY: Make your own vibrant, paper fans in only a few easy steps

    July 1, 2020107 Views

    Wondrous Waterfalls

    June 1, 202374 Views

    Staying Safe This Summer

    June 28, 202366 Views
    Recent Posts
    • Treat Yourself: Festa Italiana returns for its 25th year
    • 315 Bulletin
    • Kate Laissle, Director of Education at Syracuse Stage
    • Explore CNY: Cortland is home to a nature center, a theatre, and a Guinness World Record holder
    • Homework Habits: How to Motivate Kids

    Family Times Magazine publishes a digital magazine highlighting events, businesses, and content to inform and entertain families here in Central New York. Sign up for our twice monthly newsletter to have the magazine and other featured content.
    ____

    Email Us: [email protected]
    Contact: 1.315.422.7011

    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn RSS
    Our Picks
    Most Popular

    Summer Activities Guide

    June 1, 2023147 Views

    DIY: Make your own vibrant, paper fans in only a few easy steps

    July 1, 2020107 Views

    Wondrous Waterfalls

    June 1, 202374 Views
    © 2023 Family Times, CNY. Designed by Crossroads Marketing.
    • Our Authors
    • Archives
    • Community Events Calendar
    • Advertising

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Go to mobile version