Name Teasing: Is it Dying Down?
On our message boards recently, someone–who happens to be a teacher– expressed the opinion that in the new name landscape, which encompasses so many multi-ethnic names, word names, unusual spellings and “unique” names, Greek god names, etc, etc, today’s children are much more accepting of the wide variety of their classmates’ names and therefore less prone to teasing.
And yet this still seems to remain one of parents’ greatest concerns, as they weigh every possibility of a name’s susceptibility to other kids’ mocking. But are we overthinking this, our references being back to our own childhoods, where there was such a thing as a “normal” name?
That’s today’s Question of the Week: Is name teasing now less of a concern?
Do you think it differs depending on where you live; is this less of an issue in places where unusual names are the norm?
Have you or your child ever been made fun of because of a name?