This is a common phenomenon among us mamas. We laugh about it. We cry about it. We joke about it.
In past years i have been known to call my children by their brothers or sisters name...a family pet name...or even a neighboring child's name. Big deal. It happens.
But the day i called a kid by a name that did not fit into one of the above categories, was the day i realized i had to make some changes...and come up with a better strategy.
That was the day i called my son, Seth...Doug...........................................................Doug...
I remember it like it was yesterday. Seth came in and plopped down on the couch next to me in the playroom...and i said, "Hey Doug, what's up?"
"Really, mom," Seth stammered..."Did you just call me Doug? I'm used to Heath or Josh...even our dog Bleach...or my friend Gab....but Doug? We don't even know a Doug."
He had me there. We did not know a Doug.
I've made every attempt since then to keep my kids names straight.
One of my favorite strategies, that worked well when i had a smaller family was to just say all their names slurred together...every time you needed any one of them. Like so..........."SethHeathHannahJosh".....
Simple, sweet and to the point....start with the oldest and add on...."SethHeathHannahJosh"
This worked well when i had 4 kids or under....after the 5th arrived it got too complicated...
Yet this is my top pick for any mama struggling with name remembrance for a "smaller" family.
My next tactic worked fairly well for a time. I simply would point to a kid...and ask them their name..."You, you there...yes you...what's your name?"
"Ben"
"Okay Ben, come here please. I'd like you to take the trash out."
That worked fine and dandy till the kids smartened up and began giving me their brothers or sister name...thus causing undue stress to me..since i had told Josiah to switch the laundry but it was actually Noah i was talking to. Fights galore.
3rd plan...i snuck in the back door.
I'd point at a sibling and say to a kid, "Could you get him for me.?"
"You mean Seth?"
"Yesssssss, Seth."...and i'd let that name sink into my brain.
Worked pretty well...but kids began thinking it odd that i was asking them to get a brother that was standing right next to me.
Final plan of action.....i call them all Son...or Daughter...according to their gender...thus eliminating the name altogether. I can rationalize this very easily since they all call me "Mom"...they don't even have to remember my name...they have never accidentally called me Besty, Charlene, or Matilda...they have had it easy all these years...while i have been struggling to get it right....and now i am on to them....
So after 31 years of mothering i have found the answer to the name game!
Son...
Daughter...
How simple is that.........now you can have as many kids as you'd like with no worry or fears!
You will get it right every time!
1 BIG point for us mamas!