[name_f]My[/name_f] son just turned one and i can’t still like his name…his name is [name_m]Oskar[/name_m] [name_m]Nils[/name_m], and we call him [name_m]Oskar[/name_m]. We had a lot of debates before his birth if he should be [name_m]Oskar[/name_m] [name_m]Nils[/name_m] (called Oskar) or [name_m]Nils[/name_m] [name_m]Oskar[/name_m] (called Nils). I was more twards [name_m]Nils[/name_m] [name_m]Oskar[/name_m] and liked to call him [name_m]Nils[/name_m], but after giving birth at the hospital i felt wo week mentaly and went with the option that my husband liked more: [name_m]Oskar[/name_m] [name_m]Nils[/name_m]. One year has passed and i think about it everyday that why i didn’t choose [name_m]Nils[/name_m] as first name. He is also my second and last child, so it makes it more angry why i didn’t go with what i truly love for my last kid… One part of me says [name_m]Oskar[/name_m] is not a bad name, keep it! And my other part says, what if i regret not calling him [name_m]Nils[/name_m] for rest of my life? I discussed my feeling with my husband and he is onboard to change it but he wants the decision to be make/paper sent asap! But for me, even if my heart is with [name_m]Nils[/name_m], it is such a difficult decision to make!!! I am thinking if it is a right thing to do or not, and i feel guilty abou it! We also have a 3 years old which i don’t know how he would react to the change.
[name_f][/name_f]P.s, where we live, changing name is not a difficult process legaly, we just need to fill in a form a send it.
It’s his middle name so technically you don’t even have to change it. Why not just use [name_m]Nils[/name_m] like you would a pet name?
[name_f][/name_f]When he grows up he can always go by [name_m]Nils[/name_m] if he likes it better.
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]My[/name_f] son is 1 and my daughter still calls him / introduces him by his middle name sometimes (she chose it).
I’d consider:
[name_f][/name_f]- [name_f][/name_f]
- Have you tried calling him [name_m]Nils[/name_m]? Does that feel more natural/better to you than calling him [name_m]Oskar[/name_m]? I think it’s just worth trialling how it really feels to use that as his first name before you commit to it? [name_f][/name_f]
- How is he in terms of responding to his name at the moment? [name_f]Do[/name_f] you think it would be an easy transition? [name_f][/name_f]
- Could you try calling him “Oskar Nils” at first, then dropping [name_m]Oskar[/name_m], to give 1yr-old and 3yr-old time to adjust? [name_f][/name_f]
- If you can, give yourself a little more time, test out calling him [name_m]Oskar[/name_m] [name_m]Nils[/name_m] and [name_m]Nils[/name_m] interchangeably, to see how he reacts, how it feels, give everyone the chance to associate [name_m]Nils[/name_m] with him to make everything smoother when/if you change it legally? [name_f][/name_f]
If paperwork is not a hassle, your husband is fine with it, and most importantly, you already[name_f][/name_f] call him [name_m]Nils[/name_m] sometimes, then yes I would probably just change it. But does he respond to [name_m]Oskar[/name_m] already? It may confuse him if that’s what he’s really used to. I think it depends on how attached/recognized he is to his name. Good luck!
In your situation, since [name_m]Nils[/name_m] is already part of his name, I wouldn’t recommend legally changing it. You can still call him [name_m]Nils[/name_m] in everyday life while keeping [name_m]Oskar[/name_m] as part of his first name. From my perspective, [name_m]Oskar[/name_m] [name_m]Nils[/name_m] has a nicer flow, and it is not that uncommon to find people who go by their middle names. To help your baby and his sibling adjust, you might start by calling him [name_m]Oskar[/name_m] [name_m]Nils[/name_m] and gradually transition to [name_m]Nils[/name_m] over time. This approach allows you to see which name suits him best and how he responds to the change.
[name_f][/name_f]Good luck with your decision!