Parents Reveal Why They Regret Their Kids Name Years Later
What's in a name?
It seemed like a good idea at the time. A person's name is an integral part of one's identity. It's a very specific part of first and lasting impressions. So when you're a parent the pressure is on to get it right and sometimes parents.... have a massive fail. Think ahead, whiskey may not always be you're go to. Also, originality is cute but you may want to save it for the fish.
Redditor u/TheKaleidoscopeEyes wanted to hear from parents who are wiling to admit mistake by asking.... Parents of Reddit: who has regretted the name they gave their child years down the road?
Historic Rethink.
My former boss has a cousin in her 20's named Isis. Her parents were both anthropologists that met while doing field work in Egypt and so named her in honor of the Egyptian goddess. Had to change her name a few years back :/ AvatarTreeFiddy
Maybe leave off the 'h?'
I named my daughter Sarah. It is a family name but more importantly my best friend and sister's name. Where I grew up there weren't a lot of Sarah's. Seemed safe. One year we had 5 in her class. Poor kid. She hated it. Now she is an adult she has decided being named after her aunt is a good thing so it's not so bad I guess. zim3019
How high were you?
Not a parent, but my aunt once taught a kid named Pocahontas McGinty. My mother used to know someone who named their son Richard. Their surname was Tickle. They named the kid Dick Tickle. never_too_uncouth
Destined to be Hot.
I got named Chad and now its a word for douchebaggery. So that sucks. chadnotchad
Chad is the hot guy. Brads the A**hole. Congratulations, you're a hot guy. peacewiIlwin
Burn baby...
Parents of Daenerys and Khaleesi might regret their choice after this last season. PM_Me_Ur_Nevermind
I mean, naming your kid after a fantasy tv show character is something they'd probably regret either way eventually. Or at least their kid will. Anzai
Backwards....
My 8 year old daughter is named Lana. Spell it backwards. I'm just waiting for the kids at school to figure it out too. Omfgimaweirdo
Just have her push the whole Lana Del Rey thing, i guess. Not sure if that's any better. jimmbie
Oh la la.
We have family friends from France who named their daughter "Myrtille," which means blueberry and is pronounced sort of like "Mere-tee." It's a very cute name and they didn't regret it for a while. Then they moved to the US when Myrtille was 4-ish, and then their little blueberry became Myrtle, which is a very not as cute name lol. jimmbie
B & B.
I had classmates in second grade named Beyonce and Brittney (twins btw). I wonder where they are now. AwesomeNinjaYT
Leave Britney alone. YimyoLa
How Regal... or not.
My name is Anastasia. My mom regrets the name because it's associated with an oligarch and a character in a porn book. I was actually named for a Catholic Saint. haloarh
I mean, probably 10% of women in Russia and the other former soviet countries are named Anastasia (and the associated nicknames: Nastasia/Nastia/Stasia/etc). There were at least 5 on the rhythmic gymnastics team that I coached. tsukiii
The Calm Before....
Kylie Jenner named her daughter Stormi righhhhht before the Stormi Daniels controversy. usernameeightandhalf
Nah, it was right in the middle of the Stormy Daniels controversy. I'm not sure Kylie's up-to-date on what's going on in the world though. smash__lampjaw
You don't have to turn off your red light....
I worked with a Roxanne at my first job out of high school. I sang a few words of the song at her after learning her name (I didn't mean anything by it, it was just kind of a reflex). She went straight blank face at me and replied, "Wow. Thanks. Love to hear a song about a hooker sung at me every single time I meet someone. That just never gets old."
I only did it that once. ZooieNewbie
The old Standard.
My brother's name is Owen, which wasn't a super popular name at the time. Now it seems like everybody has at least one nephew named Owen so it feels like a little kids name (he's 23). Reddit
Hip-Hip Hooria!
My high school relative (girl) was named "Hooria" (nickname: hoor ) which comes from the Semitic word "Hoor" that means "the blessed virgin/mermaid." After they moved to U.S.A, ummm the girl needed to change her name because of some ...misunderstandings. AerisRuby
Sexy.
My sister graduated with an Ivana Mann and my dad used to date someone back in the day named Penny Nichols. popaquickHonthebox
Oh the Finn!
In Finland "Jonne" was a popular name until it became the name of a stereotype for badly behaving kids that drink energy drinks. (Yes this might sound weird and specific but I would say about 50% of Finnish kids fall into this category nowadays. kappelikapeli
Do You Hear the People Sing?
As someone named Cosette, try not to name someone a name that has multiple songs about you? Especially if one of the songs says how much someone loves you. It's super awkward. I walk into a room and everyone breaks into song about how much they love me. Could be seen as cute, i see it as creepy. Fjellhum
Listen Closer.
My cousin's initials are A.S.S.
My aunt was warned, she refused to listen. ilaughathorrormovies
The "T" Card.
I'm a 35 year old man now, but some people still try talking down to me like a child and emasculating me when they get into an argument with me by calling me "Timmy."
It used to drive me berzerk when I was younger. Now I just think it's funny. You're so worked up and mad that you're gonna pull the "timmy card" on a grown man? What other childish things do you try on adults when you don't get your way? lol.
I'm sure plenty of other Tims here know what I'm talking about and have dealt with it plenty of times themselves. My advice is to just laugh in their faces. The_UnApologist
Foreshadowing?
My mum went to college with two lovely people who named their children Ira (a boy's name of Hebrew origin) and Isis (an Egyptian goddess) both of which are now also terrorist organizations. Just unusual the way it's both names. Yaaaboy1
Where's Sophia?
My cousin named her daughter Dorothy after her (cousin's) grandmother.
Her daughter ended up being picked on in school for having an "old lady name," not to mention all sorts of Wizard of Oz jokes from kids who knew what Wizard of Oz was.
It got so bad that her daughter now goes by her middle name. jacobr1020
People Explain Which Things They Wish The Opposite Sex Understood Better
Whether it's in family, friendships, or dating, we've all felt misunderstood at some point. But it seems especially common to feel misunderstood by the opposite sex.
Here are some key points that people wished those of the opposite sex would just understand already.
Redditor idontplayhockey asked:
"What is something you wish the opposite sex understood better?"
Compliments Go a Long Way
"A good chunk of the men who need reassurance are most likely not getting enough compliments in the relationship."
"This isn't always the case, but I always felt insane dating certain people, and then with the right person who complimented me, is genuinely attracted to me and initiated things, and who ACTUALLY loves me (I now think others weren't that attracted to me, even ex-fiance), and I have never felt more confident, and safe in a relationship."
"Looking back, my intuition was correct with the other people I dated, and that's why I never felt secure."
- TinyDrug
Food Secrets
"If you wanted fries, you should have asked for fries."
- podrick_pleasure
For the Love of LEGO
"I don't drink, smoke, gamble, do drugs, go to strip clubs, or play video games... My vice is LEGO (yes, I'm a f**king dork) and my wife just can't stop complaining about the LEGO."
- lazyFer
The Dating Game
"Wish both sexes better understood biased selections. F**kboys, f**kgirls, arrogant egotistical people, and deplorable tw*ts will be overrepresented in the pool of people you encounter in a dating setting."
"Normal people form relationships, get tired of all the bulls**t, and 'age out' of the dating pool, all of which makes them underrepresented."
- 5e884898da
Stay the Same
"When I say, 'Just like that,' I don't mean speed up to 100 miles per hour."
- Unlikely_Anywhere464
Not Perfect
"For both sexes, we are flawed people and we are not perfect. Stop expecting everything to be perfect 100% of the time. I'm far from perfect, but I strive to make myself better. I'm married guy."
- ThrowAway97283917
Okay with the Friend Zone
"This might be specific to me, but... If I ask you out, and you say no, that's it. Like there's no lingering weirdness or anything. If you're not interested in me romantically, that's fine."
"I'm perfectly cool just being friends. I won't be awkward or anything about it, won't bring it up, won't bring it up to mutual friends, it was just a question."
"The friend zone isn't a bad thing all the time. Sometimes it's where the best friends come from."
- bstyledevi
Feeling Clueless
"I genuinely have no clue about 99% of the mind games taking place around me."
- SolitaryDumpster
Be Direct
"It's not as romantic, but plainly saying, 'I want the D' would fix so many issues in the communication department."
"Don't come to my place claiming to be interested in my hobbies but really after the D, because I will museum guide you through all that s**t that is my past time, and the idea of unzipping will scarcely occur to me."
- ZenEvadoni
Individualized Emotions
"Just because you keep telling me it's okay to have emotions doesn't mean I'm going to burst into tears. I have emotions, they're just quiet and don't bother people."
"I'm not emotionally distant or unfeeling. I'm just not going to burst into tears because the dog died in 'Marley and Me.' I'll cry when my dog dies in 'My Dog and Me.'"
- DanteWolfe0125
Menstruation Woes
"How bad period pain can get for some women."
"Have you ever been WOKEN UP from pain at 3 AM that didn’t go away for at least a couple of hours so you just stayed awake because going back to sleep was definitely not happening?"
"Painkillers only work for me if I catch it BEFORE it gets bad."
- BluWaff_x
Boundaries, Please
"Just because you think I’m pretty, doesn’t mean I need you to send me a photo of your junk. Come on now."
Connect First
"As a guy, I don't always want to have sex. Wanting to get in your pants isn't an indicator of liking you or not. Sometimes I just want to laugh and see how I enjoy being around you because most people turn out disappointing."
- Vapes-DB
Happy to Help
"We're honestly happy to help you lift stuff and carry stuff and put things away on high shelves. We like being big and strong. But please don't take it for granted. Show your appreciation."
- Fuzzpot
No Means No
"'No' doesn’t mean 'convince me.'"
- prosecutie05579
Some of these examples were heartening, as they apply to both genders, but others, like no meaning no, are disappointing, as it feels like it's a concept all people should understand by now.
Things That Are Considered Basic Knowledge That Many People Don't Know
Once we're "all grown up," we like to think we know all there really is to know in life.
But sometimes it's startling how much a person still has to learn.
Already cringing, Redditor ej1273 asked:
"What's considered basic knowledge that many people don't know?"
Road Safety
"I feel like it is a common sentiment that all semi-drivers are good drivers because they have to get licensed and whatnot."
"This is not true anymore. I mean, they still have to get licenses but the industry is in such dire need of drivers that they're just kinda hand waving a lot of s**t and now we have a bunch of idiots driving huge murder trucks."
- CopeH1984
Car Signals
"When your turn signal starts blinking at 2x speed, it's a warning that one of your turn signal bulbs is out."
- gbarfoot
Car Health Checks
"Check your tire pressure. Every time you get your oil changed, you need to check all five tires. Yes, all FIVE! The average car on the road has five, the four on the ground and a spare."
"That spare will do f**k-all for you if you have a flat, and it’s been at 2 PSI for a year."
"While we’re at it, make sure your jack, wrench, lug nut key, and possibly some gloves are always in the car."
- pauliep13
Building Things
"Measure twice, cut once."
- ahughes918
Paying Taxes
"Not everything is a tax write-off. I'm convinced 99% of people have absolutely no understanding of tax credits and just parrot what other people tell them."
- ShawshankException
More Taxes
"Tax brackets, oh my god. The number of times I've heard some mal-educated idiot act as though earning more money will result in less money in their pockets because they'll go into a higher tax bracket is scary. And to think these people vote, and sit on juries... Absolutely terrifying."
- TerritoryTracks
Healthcare
"Antibiotics don’t work on viruses."
- Trick-Grade-9164
Staying Warm
"Drinking alcohol makes a person FEEL warmer but you're much more susceptible to freezing to death."
"The reason that it was given to people when they were found freezing was actually because they had been found. And opening up the blood vessels to get blood into the extremities helped prevent frostbite."
"So you could say that alcohol decreases your chance of frostbite, but increases your chance of dying. If you know how long you have until help arrives, you can use this to your advantage."
- Picker-Rick
Shopping Etiquette
"It is very easy to not block the whole aisle with your cart at the grocery store."
- AnaisGiovanna
Public Transport Manners
"That forgetting your headphones doesn't mean we want to hear you scrolling through TikTok on the bus."
- maddog232323
No Money Back
"How not to fall for a very obvious scam on the internet."
- FlashTheorie
Attitude
"Yelling louder doesn’t make you more correct."
- Longjumping_event_59
Essential Home Care
"Where their water shutoff is in their house."
- MakennaTalia
Healthy Diet
"Low-calorie food doesn't mean healthy food."
"Vegan doesn't mean healthy."
"Fats aren't unhealthy."
- david_bragg
For the Love of Grammar
"How to use there, their, and they’re."
- paulboyrom
While these were all basic concepts to some people, it was surprising how many people did not know some of them. And ironically, some of them could really make someone's life easier.
All relationships are complicated–including the ones we're related to by blood.
No family is perfect. In spite of always presenting picture-perfect appearances, you never know if your neighbors have skeletons in the closet, and it's none of our business to pry.
While unconditional love can be the bond that holds a family unit together, sometimes that's not enough, as evidenced by those who have become estranged.
But we don't talk about Bruno, right?
Curious to hear from families that have experienced drama from within, Redditor Electrical_Ant6630 asked:
"Why don’t you talk to 'that' family member anymore?"
Criminal activity would certainly divide family members.
The Con Artist
"Stole our grandpa's identity (his dad) and ruined him financially. Then when his brother died, tried stealing money from his sister (my mom) and conning his way into things that didn't belong to him."
"When my mom passed, he asked for her SSN, told me it was for an old insurance policy their brother (referenced above) worth like 400 bucks. I told him I wanted more info, looked into it and it was 76k that he was trying to claim entirely for himself instead of me and my sibling getting my moms share."
"F'k that guy."
– chompytown
Alcoholic And More
"Abusive alcoholic/ forged documents using my moms identification."
– THEONLYMILKY
That's Not How This Works
"Because that family member stole my money and blamed it on me. lol."
– mblaze111
Maternal Arsonist
"My wife's mum. Among other things she attempted to burn down my house. Whilst her daughter and grandson were inside. She's a POS who's going to die bitter and alone and that's just fine by all of her kids."
– SpudGun312
As if grieving over the loss of a family member wasn't enough, these happened.
Pointing Fingers
"Accused me of stealing all our dad's money when he died. There was a will and we all got the same amount. I pointed this out and she blocked me. 🤷"
– One_Has_Lepers
Scene At A Funeral
"When at my sister's funeral they told me I had no reason to cry because I wasn't really family because I was adopted. I was adopted within my own family. We were still biologically related."
– ThisIsNotTex
Eyeing Gran's Cash
"tried to steal my grandmother's money after she died."
– bigtex2003
Toxic Brother
"my brother(a toxic dangerous narcissist) robbed my mom into poverty, she sacrificed literally every penny and went even in debt to cover for his lifestyle."
"every time i bailed her out i knew i was funding her toxic relationship with him.when she was finally dying of cancer, ( and having a million other issues and struggles) both my sister( total different long story) and my brother where f'king nowhere to be seen."
"i stepped in and stepped up to help her out of her misery making huge sacrifices career wise, financially getting in debts myself (medical bills through the roof, and her house basically needed entire renovations), let alone mentally of being constantly exposed to extreme hardship and misery of someone you loved the most.even my big loved one, just left me 6 months into this rough situation, nothing as unsexy as a man struggling,bleeding and suffering to help out a loved one i guess"
"anyway i carried my mum alone on my own shoulders till her very dying breath holding her hands while people close to your heart just turned their backs and left you regardless i showed them nothing but care and loyalty through my entire life"
s"ince the funeral almost day to day now 3 years ago ( died first week after new year), i haven't spoken to any of them.may they all go f'k themselves in eternity, to me they simply do not exist any longer"
– Lord-Legatus
The nightmare wasn't over for these divorced Redditors.
Unwanted Reunion
"When the ex-husband got released from jail for spousal abuse and restraining order violations, she gave him my new home address."
– Texandria
Don't Underestimate The Young
"My first marriage broke up after five months; before the divorce was final a police lieutenant said if the ex had succeeded in kidnapping me, he would have killed me. The police believed me and the judge believed me but my mother didn't."
"If there's one useful thing to draw from this, please don't dismiss a young person who wants to confide in you that one of their parents isn't normal. So many people brushed it off with, 'You'll understand when you're older' and 'She's trying her best' that I kept trying. Would have been better off if I'd followed my gut and estranged from her sooner. She's a very angry person."
– Texandria
While it's difficult to comprehend a situation that doesn't involve you, it can be frustrating when you don't have the answers regarding an estranged family member.
I recently discovered that my mother's cousin has a son who left the family as soon as he became an adult because of the misery he endured at home.
The son fled on his own because his mother always doted on and favored his elder brother while his father stayed silent.
The poor treatment of the youngest son–from what I understand–stemmed from a terrible and outdated cultural notion that the first-born son was always revered over any other sibling. For no reason.
Anyway, my mom's heart broke knowing about this family history, and she has no idea how the estranged son is doing.
Whenever we visit a foreign country, we always want to try and blend in with the locals.
But be it our clothes, our accents, or just our scared, vacant expressions, sometimes, blending in is simply impossible.
Particularly for Americans.
Indeed, American tourists have several unfortunate stereotypes associated with them, which people all over the world can spot instantly.
No matter how hard Americans may, or may not, try to hide it.
"What’s an obvious sign someone’s American?"
It's All In The Greeting.
"In Salzburg I went to grab something from the drug store."
"As I was checking out I said hello to the cashier (thinking there was very little difference between how I said it and how Austrians say it)."
"She immediately started speaking to me in English and I asked her how she knew I spoke English."
"She deadpan stared me in the eye and goes 'hellloooo'."
"I just about died laughing since I'm a very stereotypical friendly American that says hello exactly like that."
"One of my favorite memories from that trip."- Ted_Dance_Son
"‘Hey, how are ya?'."- vorifo2709·
"Che Strano"!
"An Italian told me that Americans walk confidently in the wrong direction."- MagazineOk6401
Can't Deny This One...
"They want ice in their water."- gianna_in_hell_as·
Just A Turn Of Phrase
"'How's your day going?;" or 'how are you doing?' in completely random circumstances."- KanyeWest_Official
Sometimes They Do Actually Put Their Money Where Their Mouth Is
"I worked as a cashier in a touristic place in Paris."
" I always recognized Americans because they were kinda friendly to me and they always left tips."- Aterakel
Asking Questions They Don't Want The Answer To
"Retail worker here, not living in the US."
"I can generally spot an American because they greet me with 'hey how are you?"
"And since I usually have the standard 'tired from life' retail worker expression at first I thought they were mocking me so I didn't know how to react."
"Took me a while to realize they weren't really expecting an answer lmao"
"Mind you, might just be my personal experience but it's happened too many times for it to be a coincidence."- 8Eriade8
"When I lived in Spain, the barista at Starbucks immediately knew I was American because how polite I was."
"I asked him how he knew I was American and he told me, 'In Spain, we don’t usually respond with ‘Good, and you.’ Americans are so polite whereas Spaniards will just say ‘Give me my coffee'."
"So, I stopped responding nicely and baristas wouldn’t speak to me in English anymore."
"Culture clash!"
"I just want to clarify and say that my story only really applies to a niche people in Spain."
"This does not represent the whole country."
"Just a few rude bad apples."
"For the most part, people in the country are nice and people in the city too."
"The barista was simply remarking on Americans and our penchant to be overly polite."
"Customer service have to deal with a lot of rude and unkind people, same in America."- Agitated-Coyote768
What Are You Smiling At?...
"The gentle grins you give to strangers if you make eye contact with them as you pass by, at least in the Midwest."
"Was not well received in Germany."- Vkazioa
...And What Are You Looking At?
"Eye contact."
"Maybe a smile and a 'how’s it goin?'"- A_Man_Who_Writes
Keep Your Distance
"How much personal space they give themselves."
"Americans like at LEAST an arm's length."- Zonerdrone
"When You're Not Strong, I'll Be Your Friend..."
"According to the cia- when training to be a spy- you have to unlearn how to lean."
"Americans tend to lean on things when standing still."- chonesmcskidds
It's All About The Volume
"To quote a Latvian woman I met at a hostel: you hear them coming like the thunder."
"More often than not, if they’re talking and laughing louder than everyone else, they’re American."- MCRN_Lopez
The Truth Behind The Grin
"One American I've met was a bit stereotypical in some regards."
"He was on a biking tour from Sweden to Palestine, had an unusual beard, huge white teeth, was extremely friendly and a bit loud, and he literally carried a bucket of peanut butter with him because he said that was the most efficient way to carry energy for his travel."
"I was an intern at a software company that just got bought by a huge American company (Warner I think) and one time some executives were visiting, walked through our office complimenting all the developers loudly and then disappeared again."
"My general impression of Americans I've met in person is that it's difficult to see what you guys really think and feel, because you seem to hide it behind a layer of aggressive cheerfulness."
"So when I see someone radiating that, I expect them to be from the US."- Netcob
Of course, not everyone is ashamed of being an American, and will make no trouble hiding it.
Then again, even if they did, they most likely wouldn't have been able to fool anybody...