General discussion - Mom and Dad Esq.

[Atticus Grinch]

Originally posted by taxwonk
You DO realize the these two statements are in many ways contradictory under the given facts, don't you?

When I said the universe has funny ways of helping "you" avoid making stupid permanent mistakes, I mean Hank in particular. The universe makes no promises to others. See, e.g., Slave and Paigow.

In light of your correct observation about saving people from themselves, let me add a caveat to my first rule: IF you have better taste than those around you, don't tell other people your baby name contenders.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by Atticus Grinch
When I said the universe has funny ways of helping "you" avoid making stupid permanent mistakes, I mean Hank in particular. The universe makes no promises to others. See, e.g., Slave and Paigow.

In light of your correct observation about saving people from themselves, let me add a caveat to my first rule: IF you have better taste than those around you, don't tell other people your baby name contenders.

Translation: Water

And as usual B&B and I post 100% helpful advice for RP and you don't help at all.

Might it be that since you and your wife are impervious to pain, you don't consider other poster's feelings?

[Atticus Grinch]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
Might it be that since you and your wife are impervious to pain, you don't consider other poster's feelings?

Hanging and wiving goes by destiny.
-- The Merchant of Venice. Act ii. Sc. 9.

Originally posted by Sparklehorse
A family member is looking for good name resources. I seem to remember y'all having a discussion about helpful books and web sites but, alas, my search here is not hepful.

Any recommendations would be very welcome.

Though not an answer to your question (we didn't use a book, and didn't discuss the issue with anyone until we announced the name, at which time discussion was not invited), there's an interesting discussion of baby name trends and look at how babies' names give a clue to the education and socioeconomic status of the mothers in Freakonomics.

Originally posted by bold_n_brazen
The Brazenette's name was determined when she was in utero only 11 weeks, when we got the results of the CVS that she was a girl.

Her first name is that of my best friend who died only about a year before I conceived. Her middle name is the name of her Daddy's maternal grandfather (one of those old southern men's names that is now a trendy girl's name).

Had she been a boy, she would have been named after my grandfather, with a name my mother made no secret of hating. Luckily, this was not an issue.

If I were to have another child now (which isn't happening... the factory is closed to production), I'd use the same mother-hated boy's name or Taifer for a girl, which was my great-grandmother's maiden name.

This was perhaps my least interesting post ever.

My lead names were Maximilliam for a boy (grandfather's name), but suddenly I know five people in the last year who have had a Max. ANd they didnt have it as a family name. its ruined. Sucks.

For a girl, I was gonna go Abigail, which I fell in love with when wathcing some John and Abigail Adams movie at the age of like nine, plus every Abby I have known has been cool. But that name cracked the top ten this year and I will not do that to my kid. I grew up with a rarish name (though it has gained some poplularity) and I alwayws loved being the only paigow. Just makes things easier. Fortunately, I have another A name that has not been ruined by the masses and for that reason, I will not disclose it here, though in all likelihood I will name a girl Maude, Beatrice or Edith (last two are family names and first one is after my gramma Mary and of couse, the greatest female character in film ever).

Originally posted by TexLex
There are few benefits to having a c-s. Getting the kid out at 38w would be one of them.

Having Kevin Federline to help out would be another. APparently Britney is like forty pounds overweight and is not allowed to do any exercise for six weeks and has really bad baby blues and has turned to wine and slimfast. At least her vagina won't be all slack so she can keep Federline around maybe a year longer than otherwise.

[Penske_Account]

Originally posted by paigowprincess
and has turned to wine and slimfast.

I have done that diet. It doesn't work.

[tmdiva]

I love the SS website--one of my criteria for names for my kids was that they NOT appear in the top 1000. When checking on names for no. 2, I went back and broadened the time parameter on no. 1's name, and found that it had enjoyed a brief period of popularity around the turn of the last century.

It's not fail-safe, either. Although no. 2's name does not appear in the top 1000, we've since learned that the teenage boy around the corner spells his name the same way, but pronounces it differently. And the name is also shared by the father of a kid in no. 1's kindergarten class, though he prounounces it a third way. The local auto collision repair chain with the same name pronounces it the same, too (I'm just hoping by the time no. 2 is a teenager his name no longer graces the bike holder on the front of every city bus).

There used to be a really cool ethnic names website, but last I checked it had become defunct and the domain is for sale.

RP, before letting your doc do anything crazy like inducing you (basically, you should only be induced if you want a c-section, since that's what happens at least half the time), you should look into acupuncture to encourage things along.

Oh, and about deadlines for school: we've had this conversation here many times before, and it seems people's opinions are strong either way, and a lot depends on the kid. Both my boys have summer birthdays, and no. 1 beats the deadline by 5 days. He is doing fabulously in kindergarten this fall, though he is sometimes frustrated with the inability of the other kids to play on his level (it's hard for a kid who can be the banker at Monopoly to have fun playing games with kids who can't quite get Chutes and Ladders). He's a bit on the short side for his class, just because he's younger, but I think that will even out as they get older. But we will be looking into schools that provide a more advanced curriculum.

tm

[nononono]

Originally posted by tmdiva
I love the SS website--one of my criteria for names for my kids was that they NOT appear in the top 1000. When checking on names for no. 2, I went back and broadened the time parameter on no. 1's name, and found that it had enjoyed a brief period of popularity around the turn of the last century.

It's not fail-safe, either. Although no. 2's name does not appear in the top 1000, we've since learned that the teenage boy around the corner spells his name the same way, but pronounces it differently. And the name is also shared by the father of a kid in no. 1's kindergarten class, though he prounounces it a third way. The local auto collision repair chain with the same name pronounces it the same, too (I'm just hoping by the time no. 2 is a teenager his name no longer graces the bike holder on the front of every city bus).

There used to be a really cool ethnic names website, but last I checked it had become defunct and the domain is for sale.

RP, before letting your doc do anything crazy like inducing you (basically, you should only be induced if you want a c-section, since that's what happens at least half the time), you should look into acupuncture to encourage things along.

Oh, and about deadlines for school: we've had this conversation here many times before, and it seems people's opinions are strong either way, and a lot depends on the kid. Both my boys have summer birthdays, and no. 1 beats the deadline by 5 days. He is doing fabulously in kindergarten this fall, though he is sometimes frustrated with the inability of the other kids to play on his level (it's hard for a kid who can be the banker at Monopoly to have fun playing games with kids who can't quite get Chutes and Ladders). He's a bit on the short side for his class, just because he's younger, but I think that will even out as they get older. But we will be looking into schools that provide a more advanced curriculum.

tm

Are you looking at private schools? Are you looking for specific features? I already see a big difference among kids in a preK class between my child and others like her, most of whom have attended school for awhile, and the kids coming in new - I am sure the skills will catch up and sort out, but at this point it is a bit frustrating to see some of the basic things they are doing. She does have teachers that seem good at finding ways to challenge kids who already have a skill or knowledge within the same activity that is doable for a kid who hasn't been exposed to it before. And now has a second-language overlay, which is providing good stimulation. But she, too, is a summer birthday, and I've toyed with holding her back, for social/emotional development purposes (she is well adjusted, but a little extra time probably gives an even stronger starting point), but I think not, in greatest part because she seems she will be ready intellectually.

[Atticus Grinch]

Originally posted by paigowprincess
Fortunately, I have another A name that has not been ruined by the masses and for that reason, I will not disclose it here, though in all likelihood I will name a girl Maude, Beatrice or Edith (last two are family names and first one is after my gramma Mary and of couse, the greatest female character in film ever).

Brett is a lovely name for a girl. Classy, too. See The Sun Also Rises.

[pony_trekker]

Originally posted by tmdiva
I love the SS website--one of my criteria for names for my kids was that they NOT appear in the top 1000. When checking on names for no. 2, I went back and broadened the time parameter on no. 1's name, and found that it had enjoyed a brief period of popularity around the turn of the last century.

What's wrong with giving a kid a nice, normal name? Unique name doesn't make your kid unique.

[dtb]

Originally posted by nononono
But she, too, is a summer birthday, and I've toyed with holding her back, for social/emotional development purposes (she is well adjusted, but a little extra time probably gives an even stronger starting point), but I think not, in greatest part because she seems she will be ready intellectually.

In NYC (don't know where you are), it is very, very difficult (has gotten even more difficult in recent years) for summer birthdays to be accepted into private schools for kindergarten to begin the September after they turn 5. It can happen for girls, but almost never for boys.

The ongoing schools and preschools make it a point to say that it is never (well, rarely, I guess) because the kids aren't ready intellectually.

[soup sandwich]

Originally posted by robustpuppy
Funny. I'm a Libra and I am the one who has reopened what my husband (a Virgo) thought was a settled topic. This kid was supposed to be a Libra, too, but with only 25 hours left in this sign, it looks like I'm going to have a crazy Scorpio on my hands! (Uh, not that I believe any of that astrology crap. I just dislike this being overdue thing.)

I got one Virgo, one Libra, and one Scorpio. The Virgo and Libra are even tempered. The Scorpio is crazy: she has inherited my wife's lack of patience and my temper. Good luck.

Uh, not that I believe that zodiac crap either.

Originally posted by robustpuppy
Yeah, the thing is, I have sort of accepted that I might end up with a c-section because this child and my body seem not to want to get ready for labor ... if it does end up that way I'll try not to dwell on the fact that it really would have been nice to have made the kindergarten cut-off date.

The Three Amigas all will miss the cut-off by anywhere from 2-8 weeks. I think this is a good thing.

[soup sandwich]

Originally posted by pony_trekker
What's wrong with giving a kid a nice, normal name? Unique name doesn't make your kid unique.

2. I've observed that my friends give their boys "normal" names (Michael, Sean, Thomas, James), but it's the girls' names that they try to search for that "popular name no one is using". I'm not sure why. That being said, I think TMDiva has two boys so maybe my theory is crap.

My three girls have names are currently top 10, top 25, and top 75.

[nononono]

Originally posted by dtb
In NYC (don't know where you are), it is very, very difficult (has gotten even more difficult in recent years) for summer birthdays to be accepted into private schools for kindergarten to begin the September after they turn 5. It can happen for girls, but almost never for boys.

The ongoing schools and preschools make it a point to say that it is never (well, rarely, I guess) because the kids aren't ready intellectually.

That's interesting that the schools are turning kids away for a year. I'm sure nearly all the kids are ready intellectually. My concern is the emotional/social comfort. Like I said, she does fine and is assertive and thriving, but over the years I think having the extra 10 months or so of emotional maturity will probably matter a lot for some kids, and I'd rather her be on the comfortable and older end than the opposite...but at this point it seems she will be doing K next year.