Do you let your children call adults by their first names?

[Anonymous]

My husband and I were having a debate about whether it is okay for DS friends to walk in and say "Hi, Steve". Opinions?

[Anonymous]

I encourage "Mr. Steve," but I don't get hung up on it.

[Anonymous]

Not permitted unless the adult specifies to call them by their first name.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I encourage "Mr. Steve," but I don't get hung up on it.

+1 We've adopted the Miss/Mr. convention. I like it.

[Anonymous]

I tell my kid to call people what they want to be called. He goes to a Quaker school, so all people of all ages there are just first name. But because he has been taught to call people what they want to be called he has no problem switching to Mr Jones or Dr Smith or Ms Lara if asked.

The rule isn't what to call people, but how to figure out what to call them.

[Anonymous]

The Mr/Mrs thing was weird when I was a kid, and it's still weird now that I'm an adult. If someone specifies that they want to go by Mr/Mrs/Miss, then I'll go along with it, but I certainly don't expect my kids to assume that convention outside of school.

[Anonymous]

Only if they are expressly invited to.

[Anonymous]

I teach my kids to call an adult by the Mr/Ms. Last name until they are told to call them by their first name. Especially teachers/tutors/music instructors or anyone in a position of power.

[Anonymous]

Yes, it’s fine. It’s not disrespectful to call someone by their name.

[Anonymous]

Do I let? My teen can decide for herself how she likes to call adults. It’s not common to say Mr/Ms where we live, and I doubt any adult really cares. She will use Mr/Mrs if it’s a person of authority.

[Anonymous]

My kids are littler, but we default to first names. If I had any reason to suspect someone wouldn’t like it, I wouldn’t.

[Anonymous]

I think Mr Tom and Ms Jessica is a good compromise. It feels a little too familiar for a kid to call a parent by Jimmy, but Mr. Mathews feels overly formal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I tell my kid to call people what they want to be called. He goes to a Quaker school, so all people of all ages there are just first name. But because he has been taught to call people what they want to be called he has no problem switching to Mr Jones or Dr Smith or Ms Lara if asked.

The rule isn't what to call people, but how to figure out what to call them.

Same. I actually prefer that my kids friends call me by my first name.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I encourage "Mr. Steve," but I don't get hung up on it.

This sounds so childish and almost creepy 1950s vibe. Maybe for 6yr olds and under.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Mr/Mrs thing was weird when I was a kid, and it's still weird now that I'm an adult. If someone specifies that they want to go by Mr/Mrs/Miss, then I'll go along with it, but I certainly don't expect my kids to assume that convention outside of school.

+1. I always found it weird as a kid, because friends are obviously calling their parents mom/dad/whatever and Mr/Mrs just seemed so formal in the context of that, which meant I usually didn't say their name at all.