What's in a Name? (Thanks Will)

I got home on Sunday morning, having spent a wonderful Saturday observing Ann Seal training PBs with 27 people who work in a nursery setting, to find this clip in my email inbox from my 17 year old son, Will (shortened from William by him as he was fed-up with people calling him Willy).
This clip was also mentioned at Saturday's training and people felt a mixture of outrage, sadness and disbelief that a person could feel, think and behave in this way in response to the name a child is given. After all children have a right to a name (United Nations Rights of the Child), but don't get to choose their name(s) until perhaps they change it when legally able to do so. And all children are people, people are unique and can make choices about what type of person they want to be. How scarey it sounds to suggest that the name a parent chooses decides what type of indivdual that child grows up to be. This once again confirms to me that it's adults that need to understand the responsibility that comes with being a role-model for children.

I think this clip is a wonderful example of how, when people don't feel safe and feel fearful about letting children make choices, seek to control by applying their own set of 'unwritten rules'. Great too that this is now being talked about (which all sounds like themes 1 & 2 in action to me).

I would also like to admitt that I did feel a bit chuffed that Will identified this clip saying 'I think there's some of that PB stuff in here mum'.

PS Not sure about the heading to the clip stating 'Holly Willoughby loses her cool' as Holly appears to manage her feelings really well to me and handles the situation very 'professionally'. Not sure I could have done the same.

It is certainly a clip we can use to promote discussion about labelling language, rights, responsibilities, unwritten rules etc. Thanks for sending to me and posting here.

A very engaging clip - definitely stirs emotions and opinions!

As follow up, Katie was interviewed by the Independent which was published Sat. 13 July. She maintains her stance, defiant in the face of public outcry.
www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment...ndbites-8706555.html

Completely agree, Sally Ann, children make choice about what type of person they want to be. We chose "Saoirse" for a girl's name; Irish name meaning 'freedom', and pronounced "Seer-sha".....my husband said "It sounds like a whisper." The child with the name now never whispers, and enjoys fully embracing the 'freedom' of her individuality!

Thanks for sharing the clip,
judith

I was chatting with Di about this clip as it reminded me of the paper she and Peter Harper wrote about responsibility and the ability to respond. Both Di and Peter have kindly agreed that this can be uploaded to the PBPeople site. I hope other people find this a useful and am looking forward to hearing further thoughts.