Listening to the 2 year old's opinion?

General Name Discussion
1

I’m just wondering what all of your thoughts are on this situation.

Our son is 2 months old today. He is still nameless. We have had a final 4 for a while, but nothing has fit or seemed right. My husband loves one name, I love another name. Then there are two alternates that neither of us love, but we both kind of like.

[name]Bodhi[/name] is one of those alternates. It is also the longest standing name on our list. It’s the only name that’s been on our list since the beginning and has never dipped below the third place spot, for either of us.

Since this baby was about 2 days old, every single time we talk about him, our older son (who just turned 2) calls him [name]Bodhi[/name]. Obviously somewhere along the way he heard us say the name, he didn’t just come up with it out of thin air, but he is pretty adamant and actually kind of argues with us about it, LOL. A couple of days ago, my husband said “Lets name him [name]Archer[/name] and be done with it” to which I replied “Lets name him [name]Oliver[/name] and be done with it” Well, our 2yo looked up at me, pulled off from nursing and said “No. [name]Bodhi[/name]!” [name]Every[/name] time you ask him what the baby’s name is, he says [name]Bodhi[/name].

Conversations about it go something like this…
Me: “[name]Liam[/name], can you say [name]Ollie[/name]?”
[name]Liam[/name]: “[name]Bodhi[/name]”
Me: “[name]How[/name] about [name]Archie[/name]?”
[name]Liam[/name]: “[name]Bodhi[/name]” points to the baby “[name]Baby[/name] [name]Bodhi[/name]”
…and so on.

Any time we share this with someone, the response is usually something like “Um, yea, seems like the name choice is pretty obvious to me!”

Obviously, we are having a really hard time agreeing anyway. We both like [name]Bodhi[/name], but agree that with his red hair, he probably doesn’t really look like a [name]Bodhi[/name] and maybe looks more like an [name]Archer[/name], [name]Oliver[/name] or [name]Charlie[/name]. But I keep feeling like maybe the toddler knows something we don’t know. I know that makes me sound really airy-fairy, but I’m ok with that. It could make for a really sweet story, right? Should we run with it?

2

Well, [name]Archer[/name], [name]Oliver[/name] and [name]Charlie[/name] would be better “matches” with [name]Liam[/name]…but there must be something else making you hesitate from giving him the name [name]Bodhi[/name] other than his red hair? :slight_smile: [name]Do[/name] you and your husband LIKE or [name]LOVE[/name] the name [name]Bodhi[/name]? You seem to be at an impasse on naming this baby. If no one wants to break the deadlock, the only suggestion I have is to put all of the names in a hat and get your son to pick one out of it. If [name]Bodhi[/name] comes up, it’s meant to be! Either that or your son is a cunning genius! :slight_smile:

3

I don’t really have an answer, haha, but here are some thoughts.

  1. At two months old, he ought to have a name. Committing to one can be hard when there are 3-4 great options on the table, but I think it’s time to get down to it and decide, if only because someday you’ll desperately need a date night out, and what do you say to the babysitter? “This is our first son, [name]Liam[/name], and this lil guy here is…um. Well.” (Joking. I am sure you feel the pressure and desire to get him named, too; I definitely don’t mean to lecture or anything.)

  2. On the one hand, I understand what you meant by “He doesn’t look like a [name]Bodhi[/name].” From some of the [name]Baby[/name] Name Games and questions that come up on the forums, we all have preconceived ideas of what kind of person we associate with a name. At the same time, I think that, almost always, the child grows into and becomes the image you associate with the name. Half the time when a poster asks about a name, someone’s answer includes, “Oh, I knew one once. I hated/liked her. I have always associated the name with her.” In other words, the person makes the name, not the name makes/fits the person. Rather than match your child’s looks/personality to the name, I think you should allow him to own and change the name for you. So I wouldn’t worry that his red hair or the potential for [name]Bodhi[/name] to clash stylistically with [name]Liam[/name] necessarily makes him Not-a-[name]Bodhi[/name].

  3. I don’t think it’s airy-fairy to let your older son name him under these circumstances. When my littlest sister was born, my parents asked us girls what they should name her, and my contribution was “Buttons.” They thanked me nicely and named her [name]Catherine[/name], haha. But since [name]Bodhi[/name] is already in your top three AND seems to be one that you can actually agree on, I think that the fact that [name]Liam[/name] feels firmly that it’s his brother’s name is cute and a good story. It’s not that you let him name his brother Buttons, but he contributed to the final decision.

  4. I suppose this comes down to… if tomorrow your husband looks at you and says, “Let’s just name him [name]Oliver[/name] like you said and be done with it,” then that’s great. He’s come around to your favorite, [name]Oliver[/name] is named, and your first son will eventually come around to [name]Oliver[/name] (or continue to use [name]Bodhi[/name] as his personal brotherly nickname–still cute). But if you don’t see that kind of compromise between the two favorites happening, I rather think you should meet in the middle, congratulate [name]Liam[/name] for his good naming abilities, and go with [name]Bodhi[/name]. :slight_smile:

[name]Hope[/name] that helps a little.

4

I would have trouble resisting such a convicted big brother. (Pretty adorable.) I also don’t find [name]Liam[/name] and [name]Bodhi[/name] so mismatched–of course they come from different cultures, but to me they have a similar friendly, accessible, world-traveler feel.
That said, if you have cold feet could be to use [name]Bodhi[/name] as a middle and call him that sometimes, or establish [name]Bodhi[/name] as his family nickname, or his brother’s special nickname for him.
The other thing about [name]Bodhi[/name] is that he could always go by [name]Bo[/name] later on, if [name]Bodhi[/name] was too much.

5

Aww, clare, that would be sweet! [name]Liam[/name] and [name]Bo[/name]/[name]Beau[/name] match nicely together :slight_smile:

6

I think that if you and your husband could decide on a name it would be fine, but since you’re two months in and have yet to come to a consensus, why not let your older son name his brother? Out of the three of you he’s the only one who seems sure. I say go with it!

7

Well, I voted for [name]Bodhi[/name] in your previous polls, so I say listen to the two-year-old. :slight_smile: I think the two names sound good together–the idea that sibling names have to match is far too constricting anyway. [name]Bodhi[/name] has been on your list for a long while, everyone in the family seems to like the name, and [name]Bo[/name] is a super-cute nn.

8

I think they are not that mismatched. Short and strong names. I agree with PPer. You two arent sure and hes the one whose pretty damn convinced. Let him name him.

9

Hmm, I think I would run with it! And why can’t a [name]Bodhi[/name] have red hair? Sounds fine to me!

10

I think you should go with [name]Bodhi[/name] since it seems it is the only name that has stayed on your list. Also it doesn’t seem like either of you will give into [name]Archer[/name] or [name]Oliver[/name] so go with your third choice and be done. [name]Liam[/name] will be happy and neither of you will feel like you gave in.
[name]Bodhi[/name] is an awesome name (are you pronouncing it like bow-dee or body? I like the bow-dee prn) and I don’t think it matters what hair color he has.

11

Considering how many people have a name picked out for their baby well before the birth, I don’t think how he looks should be that big a deal. By the time he’s an adult, he might not even have red hair anymore. Plus, he’s 2 months old. You like the name, your husband likes the name, and your son loves the name. It’s win-win-win.

12

Haha, if it were me I would go with the 2 year old and choose [name]Bodhi[/name]. It seems like you and your husband just have vetos for each other’s favorites and [name]Liam[/name] is the only one who knows for certain what he is talking about. And since it’s always been on your list, you must both like it enough to start loving it when you finalize it as new baby’s name. I think [name]Liam[/name] and [name]Bo[/name] are Adorable together, and it does make a precious story. Right off the bat you have a charming brother-bonding moment. Listen to [name]Liam[/name]! =]

13

If he doesn’t look like a [name]Bodhi[/name], does he look like a [name]Bode[/name]? or Bowdie? or a Bodie? etc…

you selected the name at least partially based on the skiier, who spells his name [name]Bode[/name]. [name]Bode[/name] [name]Miller[/name] is a tall handsome white dude (albeit with sandy hair), and I imagine your son would look more like him than, say, the original Siddhartha.

[name]Bode[/name]/Bowdie/ Bodie is a rolicking, fun name that any little boy would love to carry. [name]Liam[/name] & [name]Bode[/name] are a good match-- not exactly the same, but far closer than [name]Bodhi[/name]. And not too close either-- I half-expect anyone with a son called [name]Liam[/name] to name the second one [name]Oliver[/name]. :slight_smile: [name]Bode[/name] is a fun, refreshing choice.

But I agree with the first poster-- it’s been two months, you really need to set a deadline and be done with it. Perhaps you feel even more hamstrung to select the ‘perfect’ name given all the hype of two-months-nameless? That sort of pressure can be paralyzing. No matter what you select, you’re choosing amongst good, solid options, and in a year’s time you won’t be able to imagine your son as anything else.

14

I will say that [name]Oliver[/name] is one of my favorite names and I like [name]Archer[/name] too but it’s doesn’t seem like either you or your husband is going to give in. [name]Bodhi[/name] is a good option since you, your husband, and son all like it.

I agree with the poster above that [name]Bode[/name] or Bodie might fit with [name]Liam[/name] a little better than [name]Bodhi[/name]. Either way it’s a good name and not really mismatched with [name]Liam[/name]. It’s not hard for me to picture a red headed [name]Bodhi[/name]/[name]Bode[/name]/Bodie either. Plus you would have a very cute story to tell your sons later on.

My daughter started responding to her name at 5 months old. It won’t be long until your baby is that old. He needs to start hearing his name. I think you and your husband should set a date about 4-7 days from now. If you haven’t picked a name by then, then name him [name]Bodhi[/name]/[name]Bode[/name]/Bodie.

15

Go with [name]Bodhi[/name].

16

Well, I wouldn’t let a 2 year old dictate to me and force me to chose a name I wasn’t sure of, on the other hand sounds like you’re having a lot of trouble compromising. In the end, I wouldn’t choose [name]Bodhi[/name] just b/c my 2yr-old was adamant about it, you’re the boss. I do see it being difficult for your son to change what he calls him, but if you don’t mind letting him call your son [name]Bodhi[/name] while the rest of the world calls him by the final name you’ve chosen, he may eventually get on board, or it just may be a brother nick-name thing, but I think the worst thing you could do is try to force your son to call his brother something else when he’s not ready. It’ll take time for sure if you chose another name, but it’s all about what you and your husband decide.

17

I have told you before that I [name]LOVE[/name] [name]Liam[/name] and [name]Bodhi[/name] together! Plus, how do you dissapoint little [name]Liam[/name] when he has already named his brother. Since you and dh can’t decide, I say let [name]Liam[/name] be the tie breaker.