If you want to use nicknames, go for it. If not, don't sweat it. :-) It doesn't seem like much of a 'should' issue to me. At some point kids will decide for themselves anyway what they want to be called, so all you can do is start out with your own preference and hope for the best.
Personally I like Sam for Samuel, but I prefer Thomas and Charlotte over their possible nicknames.

www.qwantz.comThis message was edited 10/31/2006, 7:36 AM