Mother furious after daycare shortens child’s name, as it's “too hard” to pronounce
A mother has shared her anger after her five-year-old daughter’s name was shortened at daycare for being “too hard” to pronounce.
A mother from New Zealand has shared on social media that she was told her daughter’s name was being shortened at her daycare because it was “too hard” to pronounce by the teachers.
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The five-year-old, Mahinarangi Tautu recently started at daycare when the staff told her mother, Paris, that they would be using “Rangi” to refer to her daughter. The mother said she “will not let this happen” as it's disrespectful to her daughter’s Māori heritage.
“I am sad that in 2021, in Aotearoa, a 5-year-old girl has lost the pride that comes with her beautiful name,” the mother explains,
According to The NZ Herald, it made her so angry, especially because they’d use te ao Māori resources in their classes.
“It’s important for our kids to be confident in their names, regardless of their ethnicity,” the mother said.
“Your name is your identity. Your parents give you your name for a reason.”
“Can you imagine your child being too embarrassed to say their name because people won’t make a decent effort to pronounce it properly?” she added. Mahinarangi’s name translates to “moon in the sky”, with Paris explaining that shortening it takes away its traditional meaning and Māori belief of inherited spiritual power.