What does your summers in France have to do with this?

mrsconn23

Dear Prudence,

My husband and I summered in France for much of the time we lived in Europe, and we loved it. My grandmother died just after I announced my pregnancy. In her honor, we named our daughter “Helene.” The trouble is, my in-laws refuse to pronounce the name right.

Instead of He-LEEN, they do Hel-LYN.

We have corrected them several times and they apologize, but go back to mispronouncing her name. We didn’t even use the proper French pronunciation! My husband says to let it go. I think I should start calling them the wrong name until it sinks in. Any other ideas?

—Right Name

banana468

At some point your kid is going to tell her family that they're saying it wrong.  But add it to conversation.  "Oh are you interested in coming for cake for Helene's birthday?  Could you please give Helene her next bottle?  Helene just blew out her diaper could you please change it? "

mrsconn23

Teach your kid to say, "That's not my name.  My name is Helene."  Use the kid to shame them.  LMAO 

MyNameIsNot

Tell me you're pretentious without telling me you're pretentious. 

short+sassy

I assume the French summers reference is to explain why their daughter's name isn't the more typical Helen version of this name that is more common in the US.

But I definitely read that sentence in a snooty tone, lol.  "We simply looovveee to summer in France.  Then there was that dreadful summer during COVID when we had to make do with the Hamptons."

banana468

short+sassy said:

I assume the French summers reference is to explain why their daughter's name isn't the more typical Helen version of this name that is more common in the US.

But I definitely read that sentence in a snooty tone, lol.  "We simply looovveee to summer in France.  Then there was that dreadful summer during COVID when we had to make do with the Hamptons."

They tried at Barefoot Contessa but the croissants just weren't the same as at Patisserie de Clocharde! 

flantastic

short+sassy said:

I assume the French summers reference is to explain why their daughter's name isn't the more typical Helen version of this name that is more common in the US.

But I definitely read that sentence in a snooty tone, lol.  "We simply looovveee to summer in France.  Then there was that dreadful summer during COVID when we had to make do with the Hamptons."

I too was very confused and wondered if that was supposed to imply that Memere was French, but read as a non sequitur. So the hypothesis is that Granny's name was Helen, but they like France so much that they gave daughter the French spelling (but not French pronunciation, which hilariously is much closer to what the relatives are actually saying).

That said, you can name your child what you want, and if her name is Heh-Leen keep correcting them.

ei34

I didn’t realize that Helene was even a French name (then again, I’ve never summered in France).  This is my mom’s best friend’s name as well as a couple students over the years (none of them French lol). It’s completely a separate name from Helen.  I’d probably give the ILs an example at their level since they’re struggling so much “it’s like how Diana and Daniella are two separate names”, and then agree to let the daughter correct her grandparents when she’s old enough. The sassier the better.