I knew it worked at my house, growing up that is but I truly had no idea the power a middle name had until I used it tonight myself. Actually, I should say using the formal first and middle name together is the true power. I have never done it as a parent until tonight.
When I was growing up if my parents ever called out my first and middle name together I knew I was in trouble. Didn't you? I mean, there was NEVER any good coming from that. I still remember one day being at my cousin's house and hearing my Sweet Aunt Kaye use a tone I'd never heard her use before. All of the sudden I heard her call out "Victoria Lynn Come here right now!" I knew right away my cousing Vicki was not going in the other room to get some kind of a prize or balloon or something. I had heard that tone at my house before but never at my cousin's. I'm not even sure I knew she had any other names until I heard "the tone" that day but I've never forgotten her whole name since, either.
You see, there is that special tone that's just for using the first and middle name together and when someone does it to you (usually just your parent) it means you should; a. be frightened, and b. you should probably run in the opposite direction as quickly as possible. At least that's the way I always interpreted the tone. (Did I mention I was a pretty precocious kid?) You, however are free to decipher the meaning of "the tone" for yourself.
Well, my whole point here is I had to use "the tone" for the first time tonight with Carly. She was trying to poke things into the VCR and I couldn't get over to her quickly enough to stop her. I called her name three times to try to get her to stop each time at a slightly higher volume than the last. She didn't even bother to turn around to see who might be calling her name. She didn't flinch or act like she even heard me.
It hadn't even occurred to me to use the tone and all her names. It wasn't pre-meditated. It just came out of my mouth as if my Mother herself was saying it. All of the sudden, I heard myself using her formal first name and middle name together which I have never done except in the most loving manner because she is named after my Mom and that's kind of sacred to me. At any rate when I said her first and middle name in that "Oh so parent like tone" we all know so well, she immediately turned jetted out of the room. She looked at me as if to say, "Look lady, I don't want any trouble here." She went into the front room and quietly played with another toy. No problem. No crying. I was flabbergasted. I didn't know parents were doing that all these years because IT WORKS!! Why didn't you tell us that?! Man, I'm gonna do that a lot more often! Sorry Mom. Guess I'm gonna have to take your name in vain to make my child behave. Love you. You too Auntie Kaye!
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