A mother has revealed how her five-year-old daughter decided to change her name to something completely different.
The woman took Quora to tell how her little girl decided to go from Anna Christine to Claire Paige – and asked other parents if they would be offended.
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She wrote: “She wrote Claire on all her papers at school and all her toys at home.
“She just told us her new name and said Claire was the name she wanted everyone to call her.
“I panicked inside and wondered what psychological flaw was behind this strange request, but we were all just starting to use her new name.
“I asked her teacher if this was unusual and asked if I needed her guidance.
“The teacher insisted that the name change was an indication of a strong sense of self and that we shouldn’t have to worry about it.”
The mother said she asked her daughter a few months later if it was possible to call her Anna again – and the little girl agreed.
The woman explained: “I said Anna was the name we had chosen for her since she was a baby.
“She just said okay and ran off to play. It’s been Anna ever since.
“I would add that if she had said she wanted to keep the Claire Paige name, I would have honored that.
“I would have waited until she was older to change it legally, but I would have helped her.
“My daughter is now an adult. I occasionally come across something in the house like a clipboard or a soccer ball with Claire’s name written on it. It makes me laugh.”
The mother said she accepted that a name is very “personal” and that it “represents an identity” and that she would “trust the individual to know best”.
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She then opened up the discussion with others, saying, “Were you — or would you — be offended when your child decided to legally change his or her name?”
Many people praised the mother for the way she handled the situation.
One said, “I really appreciate you stepping aside (within yourself) to let her experience something she chose.
“It gives a lot of strength to have your own mother behind you. go mom!”
Another said: “It’s legitimate for the parent to feel a little sad or disappointed, but in the end they have to support their child and respect their decision.”
A third commented, “I changed my name and so did my mom and my sister, so I couldn’t really be offended if my kids followed the family tradition.”