Chicago Baby - Fall 2008 - (Page 17) PREGNANCY rating. I also looked at whether a name was gender confusing and if the popularity was increasing or decreasing. When a trend goes down people are saying, “I found a more appealing alternative.” What the rating does really tell you, mostly with practical issues, is whether this name will be more of a joy than a pain in the bottom. Family & Child Development Center Join other Parents and young children to Socialize, share common concerns, and deepen your understanding of you and your child’s Developmental journey. Parent-Infant Connection: A Group for First time Parents and their Babies Parents & Toddlers: The Not so Terrible Twos discussion group for parents and children 1 & 2 * new 6-week groups form on a regular basis* Thursday Afternoon Get-Together for caregivers and children, birth to four, meets weekly. No pre-registration required. Call for location. What trends are you currently seeing with baby names? Boys’ names are usually more traditional and girls’ names are more cyclical, but with both there are “choice clusters,” which describes names that are up or down in ’07 from ’06. Clusters that went up—Gabriella and Isabella, and my sense is that people like names with Italian/Spanish romance to them and the --bella ending. Sophia and Sophie, which was the number one rising name, and Audrey and Aubrey both also rose dramatically. On the boys’ side, the one big choice was Jayden and Brayden, although interestingly Caiden was down. If you look into top 100 you see these mini trends where people like sound-alike names. Cooper and Wyatt are also on the rise, which are both cute and different with a Western flavor. What advice do you have for parents who are looking for a “different” name? It’s a great thing for people to strive for, but the odds are low of finding a unique name that is miraculously great. On the other hand, the odds of getting a good response when you try a name out and it’s popular are high. My encouragement goes out to people who want to look for names in odd places, and I encourage you to try, but I also encourage you to do your homework and figure out every possible thing that could go wrong with that name. Jennifer Gilbert Please contact Norma Irie at (312) 440-1203 The Family & Child Development Center of JPA 1707 N. Halsted, Chicago © G.Yoshioka 2007 8622 West Catalpa Ave Chicago, IL 60656 773.714.0646 www.brickton.org Accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the American Montessori Society Busy.Work. The Terrible Twos: when a toddler’s curiosity strains against the boundaries of his surroundings—with maddening results for both child and parent. But put that relentless explorer to work in an appropriately challenging environment and watch frustration evaporate as accomplishment grows. Please join us for an Information Coffee on Tuesday, October 14th at 9am. Follow the child. ChicagoParent.com | Fall 2008 | 17 http://www.ChicagoParent.com
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