One way to get back in your adult daughter's good graces after a long estrangement is probably not to start griping about her choice of baby name. That's the lesson that perhaps singer Adele's dad is learning. But maybe not. He doesn't seem too swift. First, Adele's father, Mark Evans, abandoned little Adele when she was 3 years old, leaving her care to her single teenage mom. Then when Adele got famous, he sold a story about her to a tabloid, discussing his alcoholism and her bad luck with men. Adele was so mad she said she'd like to "spit in his face." Think he'd just shut up at this point. But nope. Now he's got something to say about Adele's choice of baby name, Angelo James.
Mark is apparently disappointed in Adele's choice of name. He reportedly told The Daily Mail:
Not only did I hear I was going to be a grandad for the first time via the media, I found out the same way that she’s calling the baby Angelo James.
I’d hoped so much that she’d put my late dad’s name, John, in there somewhere, but alas it looks as if it is not going to be. If only she’d called him John. That would have meant so much to me -- and to Dad, God bless him. He’d have been so touched.
She spent every minute with him when she came to stay at weekends and school holidays as a kid. She adored him and he always had so much time and patience for her.
Um, hello, Mark? You don't get any input on your daughter's baby name -- especially if you're barely on speaking terms. And what kind of a guilt trip is that? Not to mention the passive-aggressive bit about her grandfather having so much "patience" with her, as if she were a troublesome child.
I've seen the whole family rift thing over a baby name before. In my family, there was a Marie, a Rose, and a Rosemary. So the couple compromised and ended up naming their baby RoseMarie -- which ended up pleasing no one. Seriously, you can't win.
Baby names are up to the parents -- and that's that.
Do you think there's an obligation to listen to your family's choice of name?
Image via SplashNews
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Comments 26
Parents decision, hands down! I am extra sensitive about this as my mother in law had no problem expressing her strong dislike for both of my daughter's names (telling my husband they would get made fun of...their names are old fashioned, but not very "out there" as far as names go), and then inserting herself into choosing middle names- to the point she wrote on facebook, announcing my second daughter's name, with her name as the middle name, without ever consulting us, all because our first daughter has my mom's name as her middle name....so she assumed it would be her name. We ended up compromising on a name similar to her name, but not the name I wanted at all. So frustrating, but we wanted to keep the peace. I just wish everyone would realize it is the parent's decision, and that they should keep their ideas/input/opinions to themselves until it asked for, or only offer it as a "Hey, have you thought of....?", instead of an emotionally charged demand. You all had your turn when you named your own babies ;) And, rant over!
i think this is utterly ridiculous. relatives should have no say in what you name your child, especially one that has not been in your life at all since you were three. if they're going to be offended b/c you didn't name your child after so-and-so, they just need to suck it up and accept the name you've chosen. that's why i think that naming your children after a family member is not a smart thing to do. now granted, i was named after my great-grandmother but she had been dead for seven years before i was even born. and my parents both liked the name. but to avoid any kind of conflict, it's best to just pick a name you like. or pick the name of a relative that is long, long dead.
We picked a name on our own. My parents were fine with it, but his mom hates it. She's finally come around that we aren't changing the first name, but won't lay off the middle name. I tried to be polite and say we'd take her suggestions into consideration. Finally I had to say to everyone, including my boyfriend, that I had the middle name picked out and I would tell them what it is after I filled out her birth certificate, and I don't want to discuss it anymore. In reality I have a list of 3 and my boyfriend and I will pick one from there that we both can live with.