Names

[Guest]

hi all, there seems to be this big issue at our childrens centre regarding what name the children call you. we are attached to a school so some feel they should stick with miss or mrs etc. the reasoning being as they move up school or rest of school need to know you, surname would be more appropriate. on the other side first names create easiy going feel and children or parents might relate tho this

 

 

help what is your opinion what are you called and does it really matter or not

 

thank you

xx

[Guest Wolfie]

In our Children's Centre, we're all known by our first names. I don't think it really matters if there is a difference between the Centre and school - children just accept what they are to call you and get on with it!

Edited June 29, 2008 by Wolfie

[AnonyMouse_3975]

We are a preschool and children call us by our first names. Once they go off to school they call the teachers as Miss/Mrs/Mr...... whoever. They soon get used to it as wofie says. My grandson attend the the preschool I work at and now alot of the children call me Nanny.... .

smiles

[AnonyMouse_10713]

My grandson attend the the preschool I work at and now alot of the children call me Nanny.... .

 

Bless!!!!!

 

We are a preschool attached to a school. Children call us by first names at preschool. It is more personal. I also work in the school, and then children have to remember to call me Miss ... and very quickly they remember, and sometimes they do forget, but I don't mind, a gentle reminder is all that is needed.

[Guest]

Mum, Grandma even had Grandad

but staff go my Mrs/Miss to children.We introduce ourselves to parents by our christen names and chat and answer the phone to parents using christen names.There seems to be no confussion between adults parents/staff using christen names and the children calling us by our title.

[AnonyMouse_1027]

we use first names - but most of the children just shout 'teacher'

[AnonyMouse_3139]

I had this a couple weeks ago, all the staff at the nursery are Mrs/Miss, but when they spoke to me I forgot they meant me, so I'm just Andrea now. I dont really think it matters but personally I prefer Andrea, I dont sound like my mother-in-law then!!Have also been called Tracey, Denise, Karen, Lady, teacher and girl on a pretty regular basis at 2 nurseries.

[AnonyMouse_3975]

I think they think its my name! I did have a parent complain to me about it! They also think I live at preschool!

 

smiles

[AnonyMouse_2732]

My favourite is 'mummy' - and they do, so often

[AnonyMouse_3139]

I had this a couple weeks ago, all the staff at the nursery are Mrs/Miss, but when they spoke to me I forgot they meant me, so I'm just Andrea now. I dont really think it matters but personally I prefer Andrea, I dont sound like my mother-in-law then!!Have also been called Tracey, Denise, Karen, Lady, teacher and girl on a pretty regular basis at 2 nurseries.

 

 

Thats by the children, I absolutely refuse to wonder what the staff call me!!

[AnonyMouse_3735]

We use Christian names.. but as Hali said seem to have a spate of Teacher at moment.. all these are EAL children from the same ethnic group so think it is parents calling us that at home and children following through as we never use the term. Several from same group tend to use mum too ! providing they are communicating and talking to us we just repeat our name back and carry on.

 

When I took over I had to make everyone change as they were calling us Auntie... and I really disliked that .. but it was harder getting the adults to change than the children..

 

They find it not a problem once at school to change as one of our staff help at after school club and says tehy quickly adapt once at school.

 

Inge

[AnonyMouse_2732]

I do, of course correct them, but it's nice...

[Guest]

At preschool I am Mrs....although I have one of my old childminding kiddies there and I'm called JoJo by him, he just can't get used to me being Mrs....

 

But I love it when I meet one of the children in the community and they shout to whoever they're with - 'That's my teacher!!!!' - I do love that!!

[Guest]

Hi All - when I lived in Asia - it was within their culture to teach children to refer to women who were of no relation as "Auntie" took me a while to get my head around it - though now the term leaves me feeling really happy !!!!

 

I feel that at pre-school it is so much nicer for me to be called by my first name - especially when children are just 2 - what a huge mouthful to say referring to mr, mrs, miss etc - but again, that is why pre-schools are so diverse - and as mentioned before, no right or wrong way to refer.

 

Dot

[Guest MaryEMac]

We are called by our christian names at playgroup. When I worked in school the children were supposed to call me Mrs ..........., but my surname is a bit of a mouthful so they ended up calling me Mrs Mary.

Last week at playgroup one of the littlies started calling me Nana, I think that must mean that I am showing my age.

 

Mary

[Guest]

We are known by our first names

[AnonyMouse_8623]

We're known by our first names too. I've been called teacher, lady and auntie in the past.

[Guest]

We are known by our first names although "ladeeeee" is a popular alternative - at least someone thinks we are ladies! We had a community visitor in today and (my fault entirely) she kept referring to me as "miss", as in the short version of a teacher. It took me ages to realise she was talking about me and I'm sure the children were puzzled too.

[Guest]

Mrs .... for us, I prefer christian names but my manager doesn't.

[AnonyMouse_6361]

We are known also as our first names.

 

In some settings that I have worked in I have been known ask Miss (surname) in schools, Miss (firstname) in a couple of schools some children had trouble with my surname. But most places I am called by my firstname.

 

 

Beth

[Guest]

We are known by our first names......my deputy(also good friend) calls me Mrsb and I have heard the children calling me Mrsb!

[Guest]

My grandson comes to nursery with me and we had this discussion the other day with him.

As he is my step-grandson and already has grand parents when he first arrived we introduced ourselves with our first names (me and hubby) so when he started pre-school he altermatically called by my first name.

Now I have a grand daughter my son is always saying go to grandma or granddad, so he is hearing 2 people he calls by first names being called grand parents. As my parents live with me he hears my parents called grandparents by my sons (his stepdad) so it was another reason not to call us grand parents!!!!!!

Well the other day the wheels must have been turning because bless him he asked if he could call my husband granddad. which we said yes to. His mum then ask him if he was going to call me Grandma. He looked at me and said "NO she's Steph" So I think children will quite happily rationalize what they are going to call people by what they are introduced as.

Things that seem problems to us adults aren't for the children.

[Guest]

When I bought my preschool all the 'then' staff were called Aunties, the staff would even refer to each other, in their absence as Aunty. ie: Aunty Beryl is off tomorrow.

As the new owner I did a home visit to all the current parents and explained that I didn't want to continue to use the term Aunty, basically due to the fact that I wasn't aunty to any of the children. I explained we would use first names and everyone was hapy, some parents even said they were especially pleased because they agreed with my reasoning and that they felt the term aunty was a bit old fashioned.

 

My step grandson attended preschool and called me Nanny Peggy and sometimes Peggy , my step daughter worked for me, he called her mum, my last 6 mths my foster daughter attended with me and called me mum. The other children who were used to calling me Peggy, and not used to me having a 'daughter' at preschool, but remembered my grandson calling me nanny peggy were very observant and said, your B......'s mum now aren't you.

 

I too loved it if a child would accidently call me mum, and then giggle when they realised their mistake. :wacko: I too think surnames are too formal for preschool but respect if that is the preschools choice, I disagree more with aunty etc, because that status is about relations and family positions. And I think it reminds me of my childhood when the term 'uncle' (if not a true relative) was deemed 'not quite right', a child who had many 'non' uncles equated to a single parent who had lots of boyfriends. That's just how I was bought up o percieve it and I know it's very judgmntal and try not to think that way now.

It's funny how some values instilledin us that are now not acceptable are hard to shift.

 

My name is quite old fashioned in itself, don't get many Peggy's as young as me , so I was pleased when Peggy Patch was a childrens character on TV. :rolleyes: It gave me a bit of credit with the youngsters.

 

As others have said, children don't worry about hat they should call us, as long as we respond that's all that matters to them.

They are also very able to adapt to different social requirements be it preschool, school or home.

 

Peggy

[Guest]

We are just having this debate. We are in the process of setting up a partnership foundation stage unit with our local pre-school. I have always been 'Mr' as have taught in Y2 and have other responsibilities in the school, and so am feeling rather precious about it. The pre-school are all first names so we need to come to a consensus about what we use. I am guessing I will have to be Phil, but it is going to take a little getting used to...

[Guest]

i am very happy to be called clare by the parents and children in the foundation stage unit but i also do have respobilites in rest of school so this is why it is really puzzling me on what to do. do i then stick with clare throguh unit and school (which im a little uncomfortable with year 6 children calling me clare) or do i then go formal and be miss.. through unit and school or be clare in unit and miss.. in school. oh so confusing and this is just over a name god knows what esle is ahead.

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