Thread: Naming Ceremony

Has anyone ever had one for their child? I am thinking about it for both of mine now.

Not me, but one of my closest friends. She did the same on a rock somewhere in the wilds of Mull or something. But she's a vegan so I didn't expect anything less! Bless her heart.

i looked into it for my eldest as we werent religious and i wanted a party. I didnt want to do it at the registry office though and to get the registrar to come to a venue and stuff just proved too expensive for me so didnt do it. having littlest sproggle christened in october though

Originally Posted by samm1551

Has anyone ever had one for their child? I am thinking about it for both of mine now.

Is there any special reason?

Beebs x

Well, I'm not religious, but like the idea of having someone "special" as a confidant for the children outside the family. Only thing is we're in Cyprus and not going back to UK anytime soon, so will have to have a think!

We're not religious either, so a christening was out. In order to have someone as guardian should anything happen to both of us I have named them in my will. obviously I asked them first.

I think that's as much as you need to do, a ceremony is just an excuse for a party IMO.

Well, the party was the idea .. pmsl.

I have also named individuals in my will for guardianship as even "Godparents" don't automatically get guardianship of the children should anything happen to their parents anymore. Barr that I also didn't want the ex getting any of my money should anything happen to me, but that's a whole other story.

I think a 'Naming Ceremony' sounds bonk!

I'd have a party and call it my child's 'Coming Out Party'!

I'd go the whole hog, I'd have lots of speeches, introduce those I'd picked to care for my child if I wasn't able to to the gathering, I'd write reasons why, and ask others to promise to be friends to them if they don't know them to allow that collective memory of me to be kept alive. I'd give each person a photo album and ask them to start to create their lives so that my child could see them grow even if, as Army life dictates, they are holiday visitors, I'd use this opportunity to draw around my child a web that will bind them to me forever via these people I've chosen as the 'Village' to raise my child.

Just a thought.

Beebs x

bloody hell beebs thats one hell of an idea. I wish i had the man power to organsie something like that how lovely would that be for my son to have his own 'net' that would stay with him for life right from early doors especially in the ever changing climate we live in.

Call me cynical and a party pooper, but our child already has a net of people who will be there for her, it's our family and friends.

I know that wherever she is there are a certain group of people who will always look out for her and care for her, and go that extra mile to ensure she is safe, and protected. Isn't it kind of an unspoken thing, a trust between family? (by family I mean those closest to you) It's exactly what i would do for them and their kids.

I know this because wherever I have been in the world I always knew I had a support network at home. That's part of the reason I felt adventurous enough to go out and do my own thing.

Sure, have a party, have cake, celebrate the new life with the people you love the most, but there's no need saturate it in saccharine and silly names.

I was an only child Schuh so I only have people older than me at home. Hence the thought. Beebs, I like your idea.

Samm I'm the youngest of 3 but my family severely let me down when it came to the birth of my 2nd child and visiting him and whatnot. My dad is arriving this weekend in my sons 6th month of life to finally see him for the 1st time. My edlest brother and i for various reasons ahvent spoken for 3 years and my middle brother i asked to be godfather to my son and he didnt even bother to reply to me so say no 'cos he' on holiday on that date.
At first the whole situation just made me want to throw the towel in and say stuff it i won't bother with the christening if they can't be bothered. But then my husband pointed out that we had 30 other guests who could be bothered. 5 other godparents (OH has 3 sisters couldnt ask on without the other!!) who were absolutely thrilled and honoured to be asked and they were the people we should be focusing on. I decided he was spot on even if only 3 or 4 people were to turn up for it they would be the people i know matter most to us. My son will see the pics when he is older and he'll know who made the effort for him as well.
It will be a lovely day with people we care about and who care about us and i don't care what name you give it thats the sentiment behind our day. Not the party or the cake but the celebration and the appreciation of exactly what we do have in our lives rather than what we don't

Schuh you're lucky you feel your family are the end of your child's world, I'm the youngest of 10 children and whilst I'm sure they'd rally, I have a network of friends who I KNOW will be there to surround my children in me.

See the ticker at the bottom of this post, I KNOW they'll be there because I've had to sit them down and ask in the full knowledge that any day I could find I'm in the last of my life and I want to be able to lift a phone and say 'You're up!' without having to go through what it means.

Saccharine, yes it is, it's sweetness and sentiment and it's a day you get to show everyone who's who, not all of my friends knew each other in the way they do now, they'll be able to argue and disagree and do what's right for my children not themselves, not what they'd do for their own children, but what a group of people can get together and say you know what THIS is what she'd be saying if she was here! and reach a compromise that is more 'me'.

Incidentally divorce changes the dynamics of family, it rarely changes that of friendship.

Beebs x

I apologise for my earlier statement. I seem to have offended people unintentionally. I'm not exactly having the best of times at the moment so I'll take my sour mood elsewhere. x

So sorry peeps.

Schuh, you are entitled to your opinion, and different life experiences normally dictate why we feel the way we do.

Beeb's has hit the nail on the head though, for me.

My family now live 2205 miles from where I live, and are very close to retirement age, or have been retired for nearly 30 years (my Granddad is 91 this year).

I think I originally thought about this because my husband is off building sandcastles within the next 14 months and should anything happen to either of us I would like someone who is young enough but mature enough to take my children on. I also feel I have a responsibility to my children to make sure that they would be brought up with the "What would samm do?" or my husband obviously.

I now have some extremely good friends who we both trust to do that, hence the question. Although we are not religious, we still feel the moral obligation to arrange this. Like S_T says it is nice to celebrate that friendship and trust too.

Schuh, you are entitled to your opinion, and different life experiences normally dictate why we feel the way we do.

Beeb's has hit the nail on the head though, for me.

My family now live 2205 miles from where I live, and are very close to retirement age, or have been retired for nearly 30 years (my Granddad is 91 this year).

I think I originally thought about this because my husband is off building sandcastles within the next 14 months and should anything happen to either of us I would like someone who is young enough but mature enough to take my children on. I also feel I have a responsibility to my children to make sure that they would be brought up with the "What would samm do?" or my husband obviously.

I now have some extremely good friends who we both trust to do that, hence the question. Although we are not religious, we still feel the moral obligation to arrange this. Like S_T says it is nice to celebrate that friendship and trust too.

If your not religious a naming ceremony is a great idea, most people want an opportunity to show off their offspring to their nearest and dearest (whether by blood or friendship) and have a bit of a party.

So if you want to go ahead do it, you don't need registrars or anyone else to do it for you, draw up a ceremony yourself, one person I knew gave everyone balloons and they had to make a wish promise for the baby before they let it off- very fairy godmother- my grandson doesn't have godparents but he does have a fairy godfather ( trust me if you seen him you know why fairy godfather is the only thing he could be and he loves the joke).

Just have a party in honour of your child and do nothing if you want. Thats the great thing about naming ceremonies you do what you want.

All a godparent promises to do is bring up your child in the chosen faith and act as a moral compass. If something happens to you both - then you will know yourself who is likely to take on parental responsibilities.

My sons god parent is his aunt, and my daughter sees her godmother about once every ten years as she lives so far away from us, and hasn't seen her godfather since she was 3. The people in your childrens lives now are often unlikey to be the people in your childrens lives in the future.