The Importance of Naming Your Baby

By Tracey Wilson

Congratulations on your happy occasion! Now comes the fun part -- what to name your new baby? Choosing a name is serious business, your child will carry that name for the rest of his/her life.

Think about your given name. Do you think that your name has influenced your personality with any certain characteristics? I believe names carry with them a certain aura. People named the same, carry similar personality traits. We all know words can make a powerful impact -- we've all been lifted up by words, and brought down by hurtful words.

Parents, whatever you do, please name your kids according to their sex. There's nothing worse than a boy named a girl's name, or a girl with a boy's name. Talk to any person who has had to go through school with a name of the opposite sex -- they'll tell you they don't know what in the world their parents were thinking! I think this is especially true for boys with girl's names. It's just cruel.

In addition, you may want to think of the obvious nicknames kids will automatically think up. Schoolchildren can be cruel. Think back to your school years, and of the kids who were called names, based on their real name. I realize you can't protect them from all of life's ugliness, but at the same time, don't make them an easy target.

I worked with someone a few years back, who said her husband was actually going to name his son, Char Cole .... Of course, she put her foot down and would not allow it -- thank goodness. Could you imagine that poor child having to grow up being called, Charcoal?

When you name your baby, you are branding him with all variations, which can be used with that particular name.

My name is Tracey, it's a name that is used for both sexes. I do like that it is spelled differently than most Tracey's (especially at the time I was growing up). More people spell it with an 'e' now, then they did 20-30 years ago. Dick Tracy was very popular when I was a kid, so other kids automatically teased me, calling me Dick Tracy. This didn't really bother me. I think it helped that there were other girls in my class with the same name. When I got old enough, I came up with a cute reply, which brought people smiles and also made them quit calling me by that name. But I do remember always wishing I had more of a feminine name. One that couldn't be used as a boy or girl's name.

One of the things you may like to consider is how you spell the name. Most kids like to have something 'special' about their name. Spell it differently than others, or raise them telling them why their name is so special. What their name means and why you chose to name them the particular name you did. Not only will this make them feel as special as they are, but it will also give them a head start with a bit more confidence and self-esteem.

This article has been submitted in affiliation with http://www.BabyNameVote.Com/ which is a site for Baby Names.

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