Anonymous wrote:I think the therapist's advice is great. But I also think that you could easily introduce the nickname Champ -- just like you are introducing a nickname for her sister -- and it wouldn't have negative connotations re: your opinion on her old name, is a completely natural nickname and is SO much better.

Anonymous wrote:I just wanted to thank everyone for weighing in with their opinions and ideas. We are slowly transitioning Chanel to Nelly. We will leave Chanel as her first name. We spoke with a child psychologist about Champagne. She actually asked if we minded if she spoke with some of her colleagues about it to brainstorm. She told us that as a parent her personal gut instinct was to protect her child at all costs, so change the name. But as a doctor who saw a little girl attached to her name it would cause a lot of problems. That's what made her conflicted. What she came back with was that we need to "own" the name, and let changing it be Champagne's request/decision. She also cautioned that when people question her name in front of her, we can not say "She's adopted and her birth mother chose her name" or anything like that, because Champagne will see that as us blaming her mother for her getting negative attention. So Dh and I have to really own the name too. So. We have a daughter. And her name is Champagne.

Anonymous wrote:OP I haven't read all replies etc but saw the Chanel name, and that you were going for Nelly. Just want to say (and again, I apologize if this has already been said) If you add a "t" (and move the e to an a) it's Chantal, which is a beautiful French name. Not as much of a stretch as Nelly.

Anonymous wrote:I just wanted to thank everyone for weighing in with their opinions and ideas. We are slowly transitioning Chanel to Nelly. We will leave Chanel as her first name. We spoke with a child psychologist about Champagne. She actually asked if we minded if she spoke with some of her colleagues about it to brainstorm. She told us that as a parent her personal gut instinct was to protect her child at all costs, so change the name. But as a doctor who saw a little girl attached to her name it would cause a lot of problems. That's what made her conflicted. What she came back with was that we need to "own" the name, and let changing it be Champagne's request/decision. She also cautioned that when people question her name in front of her, we can not say "She's adopted and her birth mother chose her name" or anything like that, because Champagne will see that as us blaming her mother for her getting negative attention. So Dh and I have to really own the name too. So. We have a daughter. And her name is Champagne.

Anonymous wrote:I just wanted to thank everyone for weighing in with their opinions and ideas. We are slowly transitioning Chanel to Nelly. We will leave Chanel as her first name. We spoke with a child psychologist about Champagne. She actually asked if we minded if she spoke with some of her colleagues about it to brainstorm. She told us that as a parent her personal gut instinct was to protect her child at all costs, so change the name. But as a doctor who saw a little girl attached to her name it would cause a lot of problems. That's what made her conflicted. What she came back with was that we need to "own" the name, and let changing it be Champagne's request/decision. She also cautioned that when people question her name in front of her, we can not say "She's adopted and her birth mother chose her name" or anything like that, because Champagne will see that as us blaming her mother for her getting negative attention. So Dh and I have to really own the name too. So. We have a daughter. And her name is Champagne.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just wanted to thank everyone for weighing in with their opinions and ideas. We are slowly transitioning Chanel to Nelly. We will leave Chanel as her first name. We spoke with a child psychologist about Champagne. She actually asked if we minded if she spoke with some of her colleagues about it to brainstorm. She told us that as a parent her personal gut instinct was to protect her child at all costs, so change the name. But as a doctor who saw a little girl attached to her name it would cause a lot of problems. That's what made her conflicted. What she came back with was that we need to "own" the name, and let changing it be Champagne's request/decision. She also cautioned that when people question her name in front of her, we can not say "She's adopted and her birth mother chose her name" or anything like that, because Champagne will see that as us blaming her mother for her getting negative attention. So Dh and I have to really own the name too. So. We have a daughter. And her name is Champagne.

As much as I dislike the name, I was happy to read this! She needs parents who will stand up for her and everything she comes with, including her name!

My next thought would be how to bring up changing the name in a gentle way once she's older. I guess you can handle that when the time comes.

Congrats on your new additions!! I honestly think that after you get used to the names you won't even think about it, kinda like you won't even think about how they are your adopted children. They're just your children and these are their names, no explanation needed.

Anonymous wrote:I just wanted to thank everyone for weighing in with their opinions and ideas. We are slowly transitioning Chanel to Nelly. We will leave Chanel as her first name. We spoke with a child psychologist about Champagne. She actually asked if we minded if she spoke with some of her colleagues about it to brainstorm. She told us that as a parent her personal gut instinct was to protect her child at all costs, so change the name. But as a doctor who saw a little girl attached to her name it would cause a lot of problems. That's what made her conflicted. What she came back with was that we need to "own" the name, and let changing it be Champagne's request/decision. She also cautioned that when people question her name in front of her, we can not say "She's adopted and her birth mother chose her name" or anything like that, because Champagne will see that as us blaming her mother for her getting negative attention. So Dh and I have to really own the name too. So. We have a daughter. And her name is Champagne.