portrait of mrs. so and so~ art studio for children
The things my little artists say crack me up. And make me think.
One of my feisty cats calls me NANCE ROMANCE. I have not been called that in over 25 years. She comes up to my belly button. I love her confidence in herself and our connection that gives her the comfort to give me a nickname. And that nickname!
This is a time in history when parents both want to be accessible to children and respected by them as well. Some of my friends insist on MR and MRS as prefix from all children.
I don’t subscribe although I do believe completely in respect and feel it should be equally reciprocated. I am just not sure titles have anything to do with respect.
MR nad MRS for me is a throwback to a time when the baseball coach, minister, teacher, headmaster and doctor all got more repsect than the child they were interacting with. If there was a problem – the older person with the prefix, was automatically right. The child might protest and have their side of the story but it never mattered. The older person and the one holding a position of authority was always right.
“But he gives me the creeps”
“He touched me in a way that made me uncomfortable”
” He threw chalk at me when I didn’t know the answer”
It did not matter. They were above you. You must have deserved it.
Well, we know where that got us.
For me, call me by my first name, shorten it if you feel close to me. Give me a nickname if you like. We need to give each other mutual and equal respect at the onset and then from there we both have to earn the additional. I don’t get more than you from age or being bigger.
Just my opinion. And I would love to hear yours.
Jen says
I love this, Nancy, and couldn’t agree more. I don’t think respect has anything to do with prefixes. Plus, Mrs. Maier is my mother-in-law!