I know we've discussed this, but did you ever have someone judge you for a nickname you gave your kid?

My stepmom has heard us say "Booger Bear" to Connor twice and each time she said, "Ew, gross" and then proceeded to tell my half brother (he's 10 yrs old) not to call him that.

We'll keep calling him that until he doesn't want us to, but I thought it was rude of her to say that as if that is an awful name. I could think of a whole lot worse...

By Ginny~moderator on Tuesday, August 21, 2007 - 06:22 am:

Well, I could think of a whole lot worse, too. But I'm not sure Connor will when his stepbrother calls him Booger Bear in front of some of his classmates when he starts school, and his classmates start calling him Booger. By the time Connor is old enough to understand the implications and tell you not to, it will be too late. Personally, I think you have to be very careful to not use nicknames that can come back and haunt your kids when they start school, and Booger Bear is one I'd drop immediately if it were me. I wonder if your stepmother is judging you (I don't know your relationship or your history), or if she is simply saying boogers are gross and to use a nickname with the word booger is gross. Obviously, I am inclined to agree with her on that issue.

I think it behooves parents to choose names and nicknames for their children carefully, so that the name or nickname doesn't come back to bedevil the child later. What a parent thinks is cute for the moment might not be so cute later on. I know of a lawyer whose law school diploma bears the name "Candy Barr" because her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Barr, though it would be "cute" to name their daughter Candy.

By Rayelle on Tuesday, August 21, 2007 - 09:28 am:

Ginny, I worked with a Candy Mann,lol. I call my kids all kinds of little names that wouldn't be necessarily a good thing when they are older, just as they don't want to be reminded you used to see their butt everyday to change diapers. I do think your stepmother may have been being judgemental however, as opposed to looking out for what could be Connor's best interest like Ginny was saying. I get judged all the time for my kids names because my older 2 are actually addressed by their middle names. They were named after family and we like the middle names better as something to call them.

By Colette on Tuesday, August 21, 2007 - 09:41 am:

I know someone named Candy Kane.

I don't know your stepmother, so I have no idea what her intention was. However, I would have told my 10yr old the same thing - although not in front of you. That's not meant as a reflection on you or your nickname for Connor, it's just a word I'd prefer she not use.

By Vicki on Tuesday, August 21, 2007 - 10:02 am:

When dd was a baby, she some how got the nickname of "pookey". When she was about 3 or 4, she started saying her last name was cackle. Don't know how she got that out of our last name, (our last name starts with a "ca" sound, but that is all that is the same) but that is how she said it. LOL Cackle has stuck and that is about the only nickname we call her. We dropped pookey and replaced it with cackle. I try really hard not to say it around her friends though. Not always successful at it and a few of her friends have heard me say it. They always ask about it and think it is cute/funny. If she is in a loud group of kids, I can stand there and call her real first name over and over and over and she doesn't seem to hear me. Let me half way shout out a quick "cackle" and she almost always turns and looks. LOL For some reason, that gets her attention. She doesn't seem to mind and has never asked us to stop! I do know she wouldn't like a booger nickname though. LOL To each their own, I would just try to keep it at home so he doesn't get teased about it.

By Mrsheidi on Tuesday, August 21, 2007 - 10:23 am:

Yeah, he just turned 3 so not too many friends around yet. I don't call him that in front of classmates, teachers, or anywhere but home. I could at this age, but I prefer "buddy" when I greet him at school.

I did meet another couple last week who called their daughter "Booger Bean" so we didn't think we were so crazy after all. I just thought my step-mom was being snobby, imho.

By Reds9298 on Tuesday, August 21, 2007 - 10:33 am:

Heidi - My parents called me "booger bear" the WHOLE time I was growing up (I always loved it) and we often call Natalie that as well. I didn't know anyone else ever said that!

Never been judged on the nicknames (at least that I know of!) but plenty of other things. (As we all have.)

By Tink on Tuesday, August 21, 2007 - 11:16 am:

All of our kids answer to "Monkey" (a general endearment) or "Turtle" (when they are moving slow). My oldest is "Sami Sue" or "Sue Bear" but she's 10yo and we're careful to only use those at home. My ds is 8yo and answers to "Sethman" anywhere but he gets called "Bubba" or "Bubba Bear" at home. My youngest is "Bellaboo" or "Lella Belle" and she doesn't care who hears.

One friend hates hearing us call the kids "Turtle" or "Turtle Butt" but she thinks it hurts their feelings, even though none of them have a problem with it. Honestly, I don't give it a second thought when she complains about it. My kids, my nicknames.

By Jelygu on Tuesday, August 21, 2007 - 11:24 am:

I called Christopher "booger bear" too. It was something we only called him at home really, other places, we use "buddy" also. As he has gotten bigger, we have just naturally started using it less and less.
Luke is "pookie bear", so Christopher decided that I am "mama bear" and jimmy is "daddy bear". Very cute!
Oh and Christopher has tons of nicknames. My stepdad calls him "spongy" (from Spongebob squarepants) and my dad calls him "puddin".
I think it's fine. Even IF you slip up and call Connor booger bear in front of some kids, it won't scar him for life, he'll just get embarrassed a little. And I'm sure it won't be the last time you embarrass him either!

By Mommmie on Tuesday, August 21, 2007 - 02:24 pm:

My son (age 12) has a nickname, but it is a totally made up word. It's not baby sounding or anything. We still use it. He likes it. His other friends tend to have these terms of endearment type nicknames, too.

By Annie2 on Tuesday, August 21, 2007 - 02:57 pm:

I think that a nickname for a child is a term of endearment. Heidi, saying BoogerBear probably comes out sounding like one word. I don't see anything wrong with the nickname. He's only 3. He has two more years before K and by then you may possibly change his nickname that will fit his personality as he ages.

When my second dd was born we started putting "baby" before her name. ie: BabySusie When third dd came along we all called her "BabyKay". I swear when she went to K I introduced her to her teacher as "BabyKay". When ds was born we started calling him "Riley-boy".

Now that they are older they have different nicknames but were never affected by their earlier names. Keep up being the parent that you are. Don't stress over this issue.

I grew up with Annie Bananie and Anna Banana.

By Nicki on Tuesday, August 21, 2007 - 03:44 pm:

Ditto, Annie. I call Lara "Baby Lara". It will change, I'm sure in time. I think any nickname could create some problems if classmates get a hold of it! Yet, I agree, terms of endearment and not meant for all ears.:-) Personally, I don't think your stepmom was right making a big deal of it. Chances are the ten year old would not have even paid attention to his nickname. If he had noticed it, better to talk to him in private and explain it's a name only for mom and dad to use for Connor. Simple. Why can't people just relax?:-)

By Sandysmom on Tuesday, August 21, 2007 - 05:32 pm:

We call little dd "sugar bear" or "sugar booger". And for Sandy, we call her "Sandylu" or "Chick". I think nicknames are cute.

By Cocoabutter on Tuesday, August 21, 2007 - 07:37 pm:

I call my son "Kiddo." I was called that a lot when I was little.

We used to have a neighbor kid who went by "Chewy." Made me think of Chewbacca on Star Wars (did I even spell that right?) but the explanation his dad gave us was that when he was a baby he would always chew any shirt that he was wearing.

My three cousins were named one thing and called another. Elizabeth was always Beth, Catherine was always Katie, and Julia was always Julie. Beth told me that she gets called Lizzie at work and it drives her crazy!

By Bobbie~moderatr on Tuesday, August 21, 2007 - 10:15 pm:

I am sorry but there is a huge difference between naming your child something that would be difficult to live with and be something that would cause them to not be taken seriously as an adult and giving them a completely stupid knick name.. One is for use by all and the other is not, it is just that simple. My kids have all kinds of terms of endearment/ knick names and I see nothing wrong with them.

Most kids like having special names that they are only called by mom and dad or grandma and grandpa or sisters and brothers and I see no harm in it..

If booger is what it is, booger is what it is and you aren't asking them to call him that, thus it is none of their business..

DH's best friend in high school had a sister, who was Candi Cain.. She married Mark Mann and became Candi Cain-Mann. So there you go, I am assuming their are a lot of them around. LOL

By Wandilu on Tuesday, August 21, 2007 - 11:29 pm:

Here in Tn, the nickname "Booger" or Booger Bear" is very common.I guess I have called all of my dk's and my dgk's that at one time or another,even though every one of them has there own "special" nick name from me.My little 4 yr old dgd,Hannah, tells me quite often that she loves it when I call her Hannah-Bear. I call her 6 yr old brother , Mason, Masonian.The other day I called him something different ( I don't remember now what it was ) and he looked at me and said"No, Nanny, I'm MASONIAN !"

By Jewlz on Wednesday, August 22, 2007 - 11:37 am:

ok this came up with a lil baby i babysat this summer. T is the cutest lil thing and for some reason i started callin her booger butt. not sure why ... the grandma asked me why i called her that i said well i sorta think it fits her, she turns over on her belly and thats when she dirties her diapers ... so i called her booger butt ... tho it was only two weeks her sister picked up on it and giggles about it she is 4 and half ... so yes nicknames have a way of becomin part of the child no matter who makes it up ...
this was a learnin lesson cuz before i never gave it a second thought

By Annie2 on Wednesday, August 22, 2007 - 12:57 pm:

I was knew a girl whose given name was Sugar Sweet!

By Bellajoe on Wednesday, August 22, 2007 - 01:08 pm:

We've got so many nicknames for our kids, but hardly ever use them when friends are around. We don't conciously NOT call them that, i guess we are in a differnt sort of mood when friends are over.
We call Bella "smella", "bella wella", "cinderbella","bugaboo", "monkey",

We call Joey "josie" "josephine"( I don't know why we started calling him that, but it's not used very often tee hee) "Big Joe" "joe cheese" "monkey" "giuseppe"

they have never told us not to use a certain name. And like I said, we never use those names when friends are around.
The most commonly used one is Monkey. My brother calls both kids Monkeys.

By Dandjmom on Wednesday, August 22, 2007 - 01:45 pm:

My DD cried so much as a baby , no colic just cried that my aunt starTed calliMG her Holly Molly after the doll baby, well that stuck and thats what everyone called her until she started walking then we just called her Molly.

I recall the fact that we use her nick name so much , one day I had my 4yo GD and I asked where was my daughter using her real name, she gave me this crazy look and said I don't know. When my daughter appeared int he store. My GD said that's who you where talking about? In four years of visiting us she had never heard my DD's name before.

I still use my nickname, I thought it was kind of special the way I got mines. Due to my birth weight my GM called me, Tiny and 32 years later that's who I'm known as and called.

By Reds9298 on Wednesday, August 22, 2007 - 04:34 pm:

Natalie's nicknames are monkey, goofball, goofbug, angel face, sugarbug, plus the booger bear.

By Crystal915 on Wednesday, August 22, 2007 - 04:42 pm:

I think it really depends on the child, and how the name is used. Booger Bear doesn't seem like a big deal to me, but to some it might be. I've called my son Shaney Waney Poo Poo Man (yeah, I know, it's bad!!) as a baby, obviously that stopped when he was a toddler, unless I'm teasing him. Maddie has always been Princess, so not a problem there. I wish I had a nickname as a kid, I didn't have one until middle school or so, and it seems much more affectionate to have one from the time you are a baby.

By Kaye on Wednesday, August 22, 2007 - 05:09 pm:

I thin it doesn't matter what the nick name is, if you are called it by your parent in front of frieds, you are mortified! I was called sugar bear, and once in 5th grade my mom slipped and called me bear. It was about a week for the kids to let it go, but I thought I would die.

On a sad note, mom died 10 years ago, I miss being called bear, she used that name for me my whole life. Something special from mom.

For my kids, my dd, had several nicknames, pickle is what we call her most (nicole), and often nikky pikky. My middle kid we call huggy and we are starting to call him big bubba (long story there). My little guy we call rooster. It started with andy-roo. No one uses those names but mostly me and my hubby. Sometimes his sister uses them, but I think part of that is she doesn't have children and misses that is kind of sacred. My inlaws are huge nick name families, none of us really get called by our real names.

By Tarable on Wednesday, August 22, 2007 - 05:48 pm:

My dds both have nicknames and i still use them from time to time.. the oldest is "My Little Munchkin" and Jordan is "Boogie" but not from boogers.. but because right after she was born anytime she was awake she was always wiggling and it looked like she was dancing or as Alexis (2 at the time) called it boogying...
I think nicknames are harmless and to this day i catch my mom calling me by my nickname which i have no clue how to spell because it is not a real word.. And when I was younger everyone called me that even some of my friends until we moved when I was in 3rd grade.