Today I spent over two hours changing every reference to my daughters on this blog and gave them new nicknames. I listened to an Online Ministry Conference session the other day and the speaker Darcy shared her reasons for giving her kids nicknames on her blog. (And if you haven’t read her blog, you must. She is hilarious.)
I never thought about not using my girls’ names. I figure anyone that wants to know can easily find out, and I don’t use pictures so I wasn’t too worried about privacy. Yet, Darcy brought up a great point. She said that she shared much personal medical info about one of her sons and she didn’t want a future employer googling him later in life and reading his history.
Well. I got to thinking about that. I googled my girls, and yep…there they were on Google! One could really learn quite a bit about them just from my little stories here. I talked it over with my hubby and we decided to leave our girls’ names out of my blogging for now.
So, after I decided, I set about the task of renaming my children.
Coco was easy. It’s been her real nickname at home forever, and she named her blog Coco Around the World.
Choosing a fitting name for my six year old proved not to be so easy. Her nickname at home is a shortened version of her name. Though we did use to call her wreckin’ ball when she was a toddler. That just didn’t seem nice anymore. So, I enlisted her help and we had great fun thinking of options. Her favorite was Sweet Honey Pie. Cute. But, um, no. I wanted to call her Ramona. Because she is so Ramona Quimby. “But Mom!” She cried. “You know Ramona’s a brat! Why don’t you just call me Bratty McBrat Brat?”
Well, I was tempted.
Then, we were watching old home movies that night. In every other scene, my voice (my face always behind the camera) is calling out to my little crawling baby…. ”There’s my Sunshine!” Yes! It fully describes her sunny little self. But Coco had a sort of Frenchy-chic ring to it so I decided to look up Sunshine in French. Soleil! I was sold. I mean, for those of you that don’t know, Soleil is the real life name of no other than Punky Brewster, the ten year old girl who influenced my childhood like perhaps no other person alive. You know, the one with the coolest bedroom ever? Punky Power!
(…a little while later, back from my Netflix queue. Punky on the way!)
I’d appreciate it if those of you that know my little ones kindly call them by their nicknames here on my blog, my twitter, or public facebook page. And please, remind me when I slip and include their real names in a post. ‘Cause I will. I just know it.
But anyway. Back to my Soleil. My little sunshine. And Coco. My soon-to-be teenager.
That’s how they’ll be known around here from now on. What do you think?
turtlemomma says
I know we can google names and such on sites and blogs but can you google FB even if its set to totally private except friends you have trusted to put on your list?
When I saw the title of this post I totally thought of PUNKY! She and Pippy Longstocking RULE!!
mamala says
Ducky.
Bubba.
Mouser.
James Delicious.
Jacobo.
Porkchop.
Princess.
Sethian.
Jameson.
Density
Skid.
Blondie.
Cowboy.
Gal.
Batman.
Sand dollar.
Babe.
Babe.
Handsome.
Carlisle.
G’mo.
G’po.
Some of our family’s nicknames.
I love nicknames—they are evidence of a many layered persona.
Tell Coco and Soliel (inspired!) that G’mo misses and loves them more.
mamala says
I am so bummed–I wrote this way coo reply this morning and it never showed up . . .
Angie @ Many Little Blessings says
I use my kids names, but have wondered if, from time to time, I shouldn’t have. But, one of the things that I like doing is having a blog book put together for each year. So, I didn’t like the idea of it not having their names in it.
However, I do from time to time google their names (first and last) and I don’t come up with them, though I do get plenty of other people come up with the same name.
It’s a fine line of knowing what to post and what not to post, isn’t it?
christy says
good ideas Angela, all things I have too pondered. What came up when you googled your girls? I wondered after you said that and googled mine but only my blog stuff came up?
darcy @ m3b says
Maybe take a close look at your sidebars, too? 😉
Thanks for your kind words about my blog. I think moms sometimes forget that our babies will be our ages and may not like the word to know about the time he flushed matchbox cars down the toilet, or teased the neighbors cat or threw a tantrum in the Wal-Mart.
I certainly wouldn’t want some off hand, funny comment to prevent my child from his seat on the Supreme Court, or prevent his acceptance into the University of his choice.
It’s well known that employers routinely google prospective employees and some do miss the job because of the photos they put upon MySpace or whatever. It’s one thing to ruin your own chances, it’s entirely another to ruin your child’s.
But now I think I’m preachin’ to the choir!
turtlemomma says
Remembers calling Seth, Kid. *hee hee* Kinda like the Sundance Kid. I look back and realize that it probably made him feel bad since he was so much shorter than I was then.
I also remember that your little fam had little nicknames for certain people and I definitely remember your momma and Randy calling each other Babe.
I get nick names and songs. Joy to the World and Happy Happy Joy Joy and such.
thanks for the reminder of hackers, Angela. I forget about them. God Bless the Hack out of em!!
Joy
Rhonda says
Wow that was a lot of work, but great reasons to do so. Just wanted to point out that you still have Coco’s name as the title in the link to her blog.
I think I will google my kids on a regular basis to see what comes up. Nothing yet, but it is good to pay attention to that stuff. Thanks for the reminder.
angelamills says
Thank you Rhonda and Darcy…that was a test, and you found it.
Or maybe I am just a total ditz. I’ll let you guys decide 🙂
Home School College Counselor says
That is such a hard decision, trying to use all the new social media to connect with others, but to also maintain a level of privacy as well. I don’t think there’s an easy answer either.
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