Im thinking about naming my little girl [name]Valentina[/name] and using the nickname [name]Nala[/name]. I love really love both names but I see [name]Nala[/name] as more of a NN and [name]Valentina[/name] as a more professional name if she wants it.
Could I just put [name]Nala[/name] on her school forms and things like that? I don’t want people at school to start calling her [name]Val[/name] or [name]Tina[/name] as I really don’t like these names.
I know in my area school forms have a line that let you write in a nn or preferred name that the child goes by along with the given name. I don’t know if it’s the same everywhere though. If not I would just let the teacher know that she goes by [name]Nala[/name]. Personally I would be worried to put a nickname on the school form, I would worry that she might have trouble with her transcripts when she starts applying for college etc. and had multiple names on her documents.
I could foresee a lot of problems if the need ever arose to have the records transferred. Likewise, if the school ever needed to exchange information with an outside agency (doctor’s office for example,) I could see a lot of confusion if the teachers, secretaries, or whoever were not aware if your child’s real given name. [name]Do[/name] not assume that they will just “know” what it is if it’s buried in the paperwork. If you use a nn on all of her school forms, they will assume it’s her real name. I work in Special [name]Ed[/name], so I am aware how much paperwork can go back and forth between teachers, schools, agencies, etc. I’ve seen mix ups because of misspellings, siblings with similar first names, random kids with the same last name, etc. I can almost guarantee that at some point, using a name other than her “real” name on official paperwork will cause a problem somewhere down the line.
My suggestion is to make it clear to her teachers from day one what she will be called. It won’t be that difficult.
Here’s what I think: as a teacher, I suggest that you put [name]Valentina[/name] on her school forms. If she prefers to be called something else, all she has to do is tell her teacher on the first day of school. Other students will call her by the name she introduces herself with, whether that’s [name]Nala[/name] (adorable, by the way) or another variation of her name. Putting [name]Nala[/name] on her forms will most likely cause her trouble later on.
Congratulations on your pregnancy and best of luck!
Most schools have a line on the registration form where you can write in a nickname (it’s usually called “preferred name” or something similar). If the school your daughter attends doesn’t have this option, all you have to do is tell the teacher beforehand that she goes by [name]Nala[/name] or your daughter can tell her teacher this on the first day of class. When taking attendance for the first time, teachers always ask students what name they prefer to go by and mark it down.
