Conference oass::babynames

    How do you pronounce it? 
    Like "Eric" but more an 'a' in stead of an 'e'?
    I like it, it's unusual, but not strange!!!
           
    Bye,
    Ilse.

    I finally found out Aric's middle name.  His full name is
    Aric Job Fowler.
    
    My father-in-law, my husband and I all agreed that we shall call him
    A.J.  Valerie (A.J.'s mom) pulled a fit about that, but none of us
    really like the name Aric.  Until HE is old enough to tell us (or her)
    differently, he will be A.J. to us.
    
    Incidentally, A.J.'s dad doesn't mind us using this nickname.  But then
    again, HIS name is Eugene.  (We call HIM "Gene".)
    
    K.C.

>    My father-in-law, my husband and I all agreed that we shall call him
>    A.J.  Valerie (A.J.'s mom) pulled a fit about that, but none of us
>    really like the name Aric.  Until HE is old enough to tell us (or her)
>    differently, he will be A.J. to us.
    
   <<FLAME ON>>
    
    I think that's awful.  How can you go against the mother's wishes. 
    Just because you don't like the child's name, who are you to decide
    what nickname the child will have?  If it were my son, I'd make sure
    you called him by his given name and not a nick name that I dislike.
    
   <<FLAME OFF>>
    
    Lori B.
    

    Re: .3
    
    If you had bothered to read the rest of the note, you would have
    noticed that the FATHER approves of the nickname.
    
    So, we all ARE respecting at least ONE parent's wish.
    
    K.C.

    K.C.,
    
    I can see your point, but I must admit that I can also see Lori's
    point as well.  I was just having the same sort of discussion at
    my in-law's house on Sunday.  See, a friend of ours had a baby boy
    on Friday and they've named him William Thomas.  His dad's name is
    William, but the baby is NOT a jr.  Anyway, everyone calls his dad
    either Bill or Billy and my in-laws asked, "What are they going to
    call the baby?  Surely it will get confusing..."  I told them that
    his mom insists on his being called William.  NO nicknames and that's
    that.  I don't really like it too much, but I addressed the card
    to "William" and I will always call him William because that's what
    she wants.  Personally, I think any nickname people give my daughter
    is O.K. with me with (within reason, of course).  For example, if
    everyone in my family started calling her A.T., I wouldn't mind at
    all, but *there are parents who do mind* and I feel that their wishes
    should be respected.  I realize that your brother doesn't mind, but
    he also wouldn't mind if you called your nephew by his given name,
    either.  That way, nobody gets offended - dad or mom.
    
    Personally, I think A.J. is cute and I would be very tempted to call
    him that also, but I really think you should try to feel the situation
    from his mother's standpoint.  Please don't think I'm flaming at you,
    K.C.  I really can understand how your sister-in-law feels, though.
    Obviously, she really likes the name Aric.
    
    - Kathryn
    

    re: .4
    
    I did read the entire note.  I am also expecting in August and I sort
    of have names picked out.  I expect that people use the names I have
    picked out and not any nicknames.  I will be very firm about that.
    
    I also have a nephew who's name is Andrew.  My brother and
    sister-in-law are very insistant on calling him Andrew or sometimes
    Drew, but don't ever call him Andy!  I don't particularly like Drew,
    and I really like Andy, but I would never ever call him Andy, out of
    respect for my brother and sister-in-law.
    
    I just think it's very small of you to go against the mother's wishes,
    that's all.
    
    Lori B.

    If this happened to me, I would end up respecting the parent's wishes
    also (although the Dad here didn't mind the nickname but unless he
    used the nickname himself, I wouldn't use it) BUT.....
    
    When I named my son, Jonathan I thought about the nicknames that would
    eventually surface.  Although I prefer Jonathan, I don't mind John or
    Johnny (I don't like John-John though) and I wouldn't object to someone
    using these nicknames.  The way I see it, as long as they aren't
    calling my son, PeckerHead or Doofus I'm ahead of the game......
    
    Anna
    
    

I agree that the parents' wishes should be respected until the child is old 
enough to decide for himself what he's to be called.  If at that point, the 
child's wishes go against the parent's wishes what would you do?  I think I'd
have to respect the child's wishes at that point.  Of course this begs the
question of who decides when the child is old enough.

Wook