When I was growing up it seemed like there were a lot of aunts and uncles. Every couple of years a new "Aunt" or "Uncle" would seemingly pop up out of nowhere. When I got older I realized that I actually didn't have this many aunts and uncles and these people were my parent's friends.
Why is it that children have to call adults that are friends with your parents auntie and uncle? What would be the harm in just calling them by their names? Do we think that children can't handle the fact that grown-ups have friends?
When you are an actual relative to someone who has children and you become an uncle or auntie it becomes an honor to have that title. I am a proud uncle, I take pride in the fact that my nieces and nephews call me uncle, there is a responsibility and a type of pride that comes with the honorific of the word "uncle" for me.
When everybody gets to be an uncle or auntie, it loses some of its importance in my opinion. Children don't know the difference, and I can understand their confusion if someone were to try to explain it to them.
I don't see any harm of going to visit a friend and their children would just call me by my first name. They would still know that I am an adult and friends of their parents, I don't think there is any disrespect if a child would call me by my first name.
I have been to a friends house and one of their children called me Scott. The parent got extremely upset with their child and told them that it was disrespectful to call me by my first name and from now on they were to address me as "Uncle Scott". I'm fine with either title but if I could choose I would actually prefer to be called by my name with friends kids, and Uncle when it actually means something.
Scott Goerz
