Baby Names Inspired By The 1950s

Are you one of those moms-to-be who loves those fifties cut dresses with the boat-neck, who is a fan of Mad Men and who loves Jackie-O and fabulous fifties furniture. If that is the case you might want to consider giving your newborn a name that is fifties.

You can start with the famous Dick and Jane monikers. Back then everyone could relate to Dick and Jane thanks to the popular kid's books that everyone was raised on that starred this perfect pair of friends.

You can also look to sitcoms from the fifties to find baby names. The old sitcom 'Leave It to Beaver' is a goldmine of these types of names. There is Ward, Wally and June. You probably do not want to call your girl or boy Beaver nowadays just simply because that particular little nickname does not have such a great connotation.

I love Lucy also has some great names from the fifties in it. Consider calling your kid Ricky, Ethel or Lucille. You might also want to consider the Laura, Rob, Sally and Dick that were popular from that era. Once again, watch it when you call a kid 'Dick.' It may not be the best name depending on where you live in the world.

If you are having twins you can try Marilyn and Arthur, or Marilyn and Joe after Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller or Marilyn and Joe DiMaggio. Marilyn, Arthur and Joe are all names that are very much considered to be relics of the fifties. Arthur is the intellectual reference, Marilyn is the sex goddess reference and Joe is what you will want to name your future athletic 'little slugger.'

Another great source of names from the fifties is the ultimate sit-com about the fifties which is Happy Days. Ralph, Joanie, Richie and Arthur (again) are the types of names for your baby that you cull from pop culture in this case. Who was Arthur on that sitcom you might ask? Why, that was Fonzie's (The Fonz) real name.
Other popular male names from the fifties include Bud or Buddy (from Warren Beatty, Buddy Rich and Gilligan's Island), Dean (James Dean and Dean Martin), Elvis (after Elvis Presley) Fred (from Fred McMurray), Norman Steven, Dennis, Paul, Kenneth, Donald and Joseph.

Popular fifties girls names include Patsy (from Patsy Cline), Donna (from Donna Reed), Margaret (after England's Princess Margaret), Grace (after Grace Kelly), Connie (after Connie Francis), Patty (after Patty Duke), Diane, Pamela, Janet, Shirley and Carolyn.

Things That Teens Believe About Relationships

When it comes to friendships many teenage kids are laboring under some big misconceptions. It is up to you as a parent to watch out for some of them and correct them so that they do not become chronic life-long beliefs that limit their options in life or ability to relate to others.

Perhaps the biggest and stupidest myth that teenagers subscribe to is that girls and boys can't be friends. Make sure your teen knows that the longest-term and most successful relationships come from men and women who are friends first. Stress that it is important to have a relationship with someone who likes and respects you before you get intimate and physical. Warn them about how easy it is to pretend that someone you are attracted to is actually your best friend.

Another thing that a teen that does not date is not cool. This is ridiculous as many teens do not date because they are concentrating on school, extra-curricular clubs or community interests. Many also do not date because of family or religious beliefs. Explain how it is important to develop your own character as well as relationships with others.

Unfortunately many teens also believe that a girl that has a lot of friends that are boys is a slut. This is the kind of profiling of young females that can be very damaging. If your child is partaking in the kind of gossip that brands a young woman as a slut then you need to correct his trend just in the name of being a good feminist.

Another thing that girls in particular believe is that if they are taken out on a date and a boy spends a lot of money on them then they have to put out. You need to tell your boys and your girls that money does not equal sexual favors. No one should be pressured or intimidated into giving sex to someone else. This is also why it is a good idea to convince your teens to do inexpensive or free things with the opposite sex like take a bike ride or got a movie matinee. This very wide-spread belief is also why you should always make sure that your teenage girl has enough money to get home, pay her own way or do what it takes to get out of situations where someone may be offering to pay her way in return for sex.