They use the Mrs./Mr. stuff. Personally I don't like it because it makes me feel old, but on the other hand it teaches a degree of respect for adults.
On a side note, I find I am incapable of calling my children's teachers by their first names. Except for one because I knew her first as a friend - she is now one of my youngest daughter's Pre-K teachers. My husband on the other hand has no difficulty with this.
Also to this day, I still call my friend's parents Mr./Mrs.
I didn't say specifically before but I definitely agree with those who say that use of first names doesn't correlate with a lack of respect for adults. I was a sickeningly respectful kid (while using adults' first names), and have seen lots of disrespect aimed at people who are addressed as "Mrs/Mr. Lastname."
When I use this Mrs./ Miss/ Mr. stuff I realize why "Ms." was initially a big deal, though. I find it so irritating to have to differentiate between married and unmarried women. (All of the female teachers at sozlet's school are Mrs. or Miss.)
Children and adults all call me Mrs. Cleaver.
Growing up (mostly) in the South, we called all adults Mr. or Miz Lastname. (The fact that Mrs was slurred to Miz meant that there was no need to differentiate between married and unmarried women.)
There were a few close friends of the family who became honorary aunts or uncles, and so were called Aunt Polly etc.
I think that one of the main reasons that I loved volunteering at the community theater as a teenager is that it was the first time adults insisted that I call them by their first names. I felt very grownup.
During my time living in the South, and Texas, I regularly get called Miss First Name.
I got called Miss Chai twice today.
mac11 wrote:There were a few close friends of the family who became honorary aunts or uncles, and so were called Aunt Polly etc.
Oh yeah. I had an "Aunt" Joann and an "Aunt" Thelma. No relation.
sozobe wrote:I didn't say specifically before but I definitely agree with those who say that use of first names doesn't correlate with a lack of respect for adults. I was a sickeningly respectful kid (while using adults' first names), and have seen lots of disrespect aimed at people who are addressed as "Mrs/Mr. Lastname."
When I use this Mrs./ Miss/ Mr. stuff I realize why "Ms." was initially a big deal, though. I find it so irritating to have to differentiate between married and unmarried women. (All of the female teachers at sozlet's school are Mrs. or Miss.)
I agree - that is why I stated it as a degree of respect - not necessarily respect in itself.
Here, it's inevitably Mr. or Miss Firstname.
We don't worry about teaching the girls ot diffentiate between married and unmarried women at this point, and I think that's ridiculous anyway.
