by Kelly (guest)
11/9/2007, 7:15 AM
I have six adopted kids and have changed entirely or partially four of their names (and changed the spelling on the fifth)... two of them were 4 & 7 when the name changes occurred, and they were great with it. Actually, for the one who was seven, I just gave him a new middle name (he okayed it) and after the adoption he informed everyone we could only call him by his new middle name! LOL! So I know it IS doable, depending on the child.
I have three foster kids whom I will be adopting (a sibling group), and I won't be changing the eldest (8 yr olds) name at all because I can tell that would not be good for him.
I think Cora would be open to it, but if she is really against it I wouldn't do it. But I want to have some things in mind before I talk to her about it. Her mn is Conswella.
My adopted kids are:
~Deontay James
~Kiara Joy (was Keaira Joilisa, she was 4 at time of adopting and totally oblivious to the change)
~Darnell Stephen (goes by Stephen)
~Raelyn Shayde (was Charlene Raejean, but always went by Rae so we still call her that; she was four and was totally thrilled!)
~Jessie Eowyn (she was two and didn't even realized when I switched her name from Laterrika Tytianna)
~Joseph David (he was an infant so I totally changed his, too, from Sanson Dionte)
the foster kids are
~Dontalyon Eliajah - I will drop that extra "a" from Eliajah because he doesn't know how to spell it; he goes by Don and is pretty attached to and proud of his name - Don Eliajah, but seems embarrassed by Dontalyon, but I really don't think he'll want to change it, so I'm not going to go there with him
~Cora Conswella
~Benjamin Davontaye (he's two, I'm going to change it to Benjamin Shawn, NONE of the kids even knew he had a middle name, same with Cora, they all told me her mn was Princess! ROFL)