(Nick Galifianakis for The Post) | Dear Carolyn: Our young child has both my husband's and my last names, no hyphen and no middle name. My husband's parents have voiced disapproval, do not recognize our family's choice and only address our child by my spouse's last name when sending him cards, gifts, etc. My husband's sister has been married multiple times and has multiple children — each given their father's last name — and no one in her family has the same last name. Their respective dads are not involved in their lives. How my husband's sister's family chooses names is of course their business, but I find it interesting that my in-laws are okay with the variety of names in their daughter's family, but our inclusion of my last name is offensive. My extended family isn't prolific, and I don't believe only men have the right to have their names carry on. If I disliked my last name, I'd have no attachment to it and would gladly change it. As much as we talk as if we've come so far as a society, the pushback from relatively minor matters like this (in the grand scheme of things) shows we still have a long way to go. Every time I open a card addressed to our young child incorrectly is a reminder of my in-laws' rejection. That won't be changing. I find myself irritated by this and am hoping you can advise me on how to handle this for myself. — Name Game |
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