When you were a kid, were you allowed to address a grown up by their first name?

Question

If and only If they very close friends to our family, we would call them Aunt__ or Uncle__. Otherwise, it was Mr.__ or Mrs__.

Answer 1

You got that right. We had rules to follow and one was to RESPECT those older than us. It made us the great kind people we are today...and we have respect.

Answer 2

Huh....my momma didn't raise no stupid daughter! And it would have been EXTREMELY stupid to address any adult by ANYTHING other than Mr or Mrs.

EVERYONE was Mr or Mrs This or That. Only if they were related they were Aunt Minnie or Uncle Tony. I was not allowed to address even close family friends as anything BUT Mr or Mrs.

Funny how those early lessons stuck though...I still find myself calling my elderly neighbours (that I knew as adults when I was still a child) Mr or Mrs.

Answer 3

If I wanted to get any older I had better not call an adult by their first name, not with out some type of honorific. To this day I use an honorific to neighbors, most business people and any one I wish to show respect to even people in my own age group. When my daughter went to 1st grade the teacher told the kids to just call her Judy. I was at the school the next day and I told her I would take it to the principle if she persisted. It wasn't just she wanted then to call her Judy she also did not want them to say "yes ma'am","no ma'am" and "yes sir", no sir". She learned real quick I wasn't the only parent that felt that way too. She retired last year and the sign read we'll miss you "Miss Judy". My daughter (now 40) still uses the honorifics and it makes me very proud of how well received she is by people in the business world. They do appreciate it and are sometimes even surprised when she does. Several of the older people in our area has commented to me about how polite she is. I just smile and say thank you.

Answer 4

My aunts & uncles were addressed as "Aunt__& Uncle__. I was allowed to address close family friends & certain close neigbors by their first names. Everyone else, I addressed as Mr./Mrs. There were some adults who insisted that I call them by their first name but I always got my parent's permission first, before doing so.

Answer 5

When I was kid (in the '80's) I was prepared to call my friends parents as Mr. or Mrs. but they surprisingly said just call them by their first names. As far as friends of the family I always called them by their first names as well. There was no need for confusion as to who was really related to me or not.

Answer 6

Never! For awhile I lived next door to an old friend of the family. She was a good friend of my mom's parents. One day after I called her Mrs. _____, she told me that I could call her by her first name. I knew her first name and had always had a difficult time pronouncing it correctly and I didn't want to insult her, so I told her that my mom would be furious with me if I called her by her first name. Yes, my mom would be furious if I called this grand lady by her first name!

Answer 7

And risk the wrath of the mater and pater? No Way!
We didn't even get to choose to call anyone Aunt and Uncle, because those names were reserved for the real thing. Everybody else was Miss, Mrs. or Mr.

Answer 8

Ms Lisa is a demonstration of admire, no longer demeaning. i assume it relies upon somewhat on geographic region. I even have lived all over the rustic. The North east US looks maximum laid returned approximately infants utilising adults first names. Down south a toddler refers to an person interior the Ms/Mr (first call) in the event that they're prevalent, instructors and adults that are acquaintance's are by utilising final call, and consistently sir or mam. interior the pacific northeast that's in many situations Ms/Mr (first call) comparable interior the mid west.

Answer 9

nope, not all the time, only a very few relatives, but i had to put in "aunt, uncle" my grandma´s and grandpa´s, was just that. every one else was, "sir, mr. miss, ms, or mrs."

if i was being rude or not using proper terms...same difference, i got the back of my mothers hand right across my lips...i learned early to be respectful.

now a days, kids are cussing teachers parents, and total strangers and getting away with it, its real sad, there is just no pride, and organizations like "C.P.S." will not allow any kind of punishment for bad behavior.

Answer 10

Yes I was but only friends of the family. However, I usually ended up calling them Uncle or Aunt

Answer 11

Same for me--always Mr. or Mrs.; or Aunt or Uncle, if they were friends of the family.