I Don't Like My Daughter's Name Anymore

Summary

Podcast Summary: "I Don't Like My Daughter's Name Anymore"

Podcast Information:

• Title: Dr. Laura Call of the Day
• Host: Dr. Laura Schlessinger
• Episode: I Don't Like My Daughter's Name Anymore
• Release Date: June 2, 2025
• Description: In this episode, Dr. Laura Schlessinger addresses a caller's concern about changing her three-year-old daughter's name, delving into the implications of such a decision on the child and the family dynamic.

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Introduction to the Caller’s Dilemma

At 00:37, Dr. Laura welcomes Sophie and Sean to the program, setting the stage for their discussion. Sophie introduces their situation:

Sophie (00:37): "Hi, Dr. Laura. So we're calling you today because we have a three-year-old daughter and we're thinking about changing her name."

She elaborates that they chose the name quickly under the assumption they were having a boy, but after the surprise of having a girl, Sophie has grown unhappy with the name:

Sophie (01:07): "We thought we were having a boy. It was a surprise. We had a girl and I've just never been happy with it."

Dr. Laura’s Initial Response

Dr. Laura quickly addresses the emotional weight of the decision:

Dr. Laura (01:17): "Why after all of these years do we care about what her first name is?"

She expresses concern over the impact of changing a child's name after they've grown accustomed to it:

Dr. Laura (01:43): "Yeah, Sophie, don't do this."

Discussion on the Implications of Name Changing

Sophie explains that the chosen name is typically a boy's name, leading to frequent misunderstandings:

Sophie (02:12): "The name that we’ve named her though is in fact a boy name and she's been mistaken."

Dr. Laura emphasizes prioritizing the child’s well-being over the parents' discomfort:

Dr. Laura (02:17): "I care about her. You have to adjust to what is good for her, not have her adjust to your possibly neurotic stuff going on about names."

Counterarguments and Further Advice

Despite the conversation being interrupted by advertisements, Dr. Laura continues to reinforce her stance against changing the child’s name:

Dr. Laura (04:58): "Drop this out of your mind and get on with life. Are you obsessing about anything else? Seriously?"

Sean attempts to clarify that the child doesn't fixate on the name:

Sean (05:09): "Only me. Only me."

Dr. Laura remains adamant, stressing that the child will internalize the change and perceive it personally:

Dr. Laura (05:43): "A three-year-old is going to take a change of name as disapproving of the kid. I keep telling you, kids take everything personally."

Suggestions for Alternative Approaches

Dr. Laura suggests utilizing a nickname rather than changing the official name:

Dr. Laura (05:19): "Please don't do this to your kids. You could call her something cute."

She probes further to understand if the parents use affectionate nicknames for each other, highlighting the inconsistency in their approach:

Dr. Laura (05:53): "You don't call him sweetie or honey bun or nothing. Stud. Nothing."

Sophie admits they do use a nickname for their daughter:

Sean (06:37): "Yeah, we do. So because we weren't sure, we called her Pip."

Final Recommendations

Dr. Laura reinforces her initial advice, urging the parents to maintain consistency and avoid causing confusion for their child:

Dr. Laura (06:52): "So you already have a nickname. Stay with it. Please don't do this."

She emphasizes that the child should feel secure and accepted with her given name and cautions against perpetuating potential insecurity:

Dr. Laura (07:03): "Kids take everything personally. They don't think it's just mom being weird. They take it personally."

Conclusion

The episode concludes with Dr. Laura reiterating her plea for the parents to reconsider their decision to change their daughter's name, highlighting the importance of stability and self-acceptance for a child's development.

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Notable Quotes:

• Dr. Laura (01:43): "Yeah, Sophie, don't do this."
• Dr. Laura (02:17): "I care about her. You have to adjust to what is good for her, not have her adjust to your possibly neurotic stuff going on about names."
• Dr. Laura (05:19): "Please don't do this to your kids."
• Dr. Laura (06:52): "So you already have a nickname. Stay with it. Please don't do this."

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This episode underscores the significance of thoughtful decision-making in parenting, especially concerning aspects like naming that bear long-term personal implications for children. Dr. Laura advocates for prioritizing the child's emotional and psychological well-being over parental discomfort or second-guessing past decisions.

Transcript

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[Dr. Laura]

Thanks for listening to my Call of the Day podcast. You can hear my live radio program Monday through Friday from 2 to 5pm Eastern Time on Sirius XM Triumph 111. Sophie and Sean, welcome to the program.

[Sophie]

Hi, Dr. Laura. So we're calling you today because we have a three year old daughter and we're thinking about changing her name. So a little bit of background.

[Dr. Laura]

I'm sorry, are you guys married to each other?

[Sophie]

Yes.

[Dr. Laura]

For how long?

[Sophie]

Four years now.

[Dr. Laura]

And is your little child a product of the two of you?

[Sophie]

She is. We actually have two kids, both a product of both of us.

[Dr. Laura]

Oh, so you want to change her first name, not her last name? Why after all of these years do we care about what her first name is?

[Sophie]

So when we picked her first name, it kind of felt like we, we picked it rather quickly. We thought we were having a boy. It was a surprise. We had a girl and I've just never been happy with it. I kind of agreed to something and we went with it. And it's kind of a crazy time when you first had a baby. But I've. Since that day that we named her, I've looked at her and thought, that's not her right name. It's not the name for her. Okay, Sophie, going into it.

[Dr. Laura]

Yeah, Sophie, don't do this.

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[Dr. Laura]

She recognizes herself as that name. She will take this personally. This will be confusing and difficult. Call her a cute nickname if you'd like. Call her a cute nickname. Call her Sweetums all the time. Honey bunch. Don't do this to a kid. Please don't.

[Sophie]

The name that she, that we've named her though is in fact a boy name and she's been mistaken.

[Dr. Laura]

Okay? I was supposed to be Larry Lawrence. So what? And there are names that are used by both genders. I don't care how you feel about her name. I care about her. You have to adjust to what is good for her, not have her adjust to your possibly neurotic stuff going on about names.

[Sophie]

Okay.

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[Dr. Laura]

Drop this out of your mind and get on with life. Are you obsessing about anything else? Seriously? Okay, Sean. Does she obsess about anything else? Tell me the truth.

[Sean]

Only me. Only me.

[Dr. Laura]

She obsesses about you?

[Sean]

I'd like to think so, okay? But no. No, she doesn't.

[Dr. Laura]

I don't care what the name is. It's her name. If she gets to be 18 and she wants to change her name, good. But please don't impose this. It's just. No, please don't. Please, please. Okay, so tell me a nickname. You could call her something cute. By the way, do you have a nickname for Sean? Or do you call him Sean? But do you call him anything cute when you're Horny or anything?

[Sophie]

No, not really.

[Dr. Laura]

You don't call him sweetie or honey bun or nothing. Stud. Nothing.

[Sophie]

Sean and dad.

[Dr. Laura]

Okay, do me a favor. Don't call Sean dad unless you're referring to him when you're talking to your kid. But don't call he's your man. Don't call him dad. I want to keep him as your man. It's much sexier and powerful. Okay, so let's hear a nickname. Hey, Sean, come up with a nickname for your daughter. Or do you have one?

[Sean]

Well, we do. So again, we didn't find out what. What the.

[Dr. Laura]

Sean. I don't care about that story. I just want to know if you have a nickname.

[Sean]

Yeah, we do. So because we weren't sure, we called her Pip. As in like an avocado pip. So up to now, we basically called her Pip kind of as a. As a bit of a nickname. Prior to having a baby, we referred to her as Pip. And then Pip just kicked Sophie's belly when she was a baby.

[Dr. Laura]

So you already have a nickname. Stay with it. Please don't do this. You can do whatever you want, but I'm just begging. Just too confusing and I think detrimental. Like what's wrong? A three year old is going to take a change of name is disapproving of the kid. I keep telling you, kids take everything personally. They don't think it's just mom being weird. They take it personally. And I don't want to drop into her mind that there's anything unacceptable about her. Please don't do this to your kids. Okay, my number, 1-800-375-2872. You're just a click away from some terrific deals being offered by companies that get the Dr. Laura stamp of approval. Visit drlaura.com Click on Sponsors to take advantage of the special discounts available to DrLaura listeners. Like you.

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