Friday, February 27, 2009

Signing your cards

Ok... Leah, I am totally copying your blog post topic... It really got me thinking so I wanted to throw out your question you put out there...

Leah, Jim's cousin, just wrote a blog post about the way people sign cards, say Christmas cards for example.  She had noticed that usually it was the wife who signed the card yet signed it using the husbands name first.  And families with kids... they listed the kids names after the parents going from oldest to youngest... 

How do you sign a card from the family? 

I had a friend tell me in the past that she wrote her husbands name first because it was what he wanted... out of respect.... Thoughts?  Does it even matter?  

I am thinking of starting to sign my cards in a name pattern... Jim, Haley, Stef, Hunter, Jonah... Or maybe.... JHSHJ.... OR maybe Jonah, Haley, Stef, Hunter, Jim :)


7 comments:

Rachel said...

I do sign Mike's name first, and I do thinkit is a sign of respect because he is the head of our house. Sometimes I sign "and the rest" after Mike and Rachel, or the famous "Colorado Heldts" but now Mike's brother lives here so that could be confusing.

It is interesting though because when I send our attendance from small group to the church I don't list every couple male/female. I realized I put the name of the person who I perceive as the "head" or more likely the more outgoing of the pairing. I always change it, though, if I catch it, before I send the email.

Beckie said...

It's funny that you ask. . .when I sent out the Thank you cards for our bridal shower gifts I had signed them Beckie & Bryan and a couple days later I get a call from my grandma telling me that it was improper to put my name first. He was the head of the household now and I needed to put his name before mine. ;) I said okay grandma and ever since I have made sure to put Bryan's name first. ;) I hope you are having a great day. :)

Jenny and Scott Smith said...

Yeah I always put Scotts name first. I guess just because he is the guy. I dunno. Ha ha, but looks at our blog name...I do all the blogging and I put my name first. It looks funny to me! LOL.

Kim said...

I do Jeremy and Kim, Zachary and Natalie... Yep, Jeremy first, and the kids in order by age. I don't know why exactly, I just have always done that... But when I think about it, it is because he is the head of our house.

Kim said...

Oh, one other thought. When we first got married, I was so happy for my name to be next to his last name - Jeremy and Kim Canell.

Jenny made me think of that - cuz it could be read as if Scott were the only "Smith" - like maybe they weren't married yet or like Jenny kept her maiden name. (Of course I know otherwise!)

Aramigan said...

Wow! I am flattered. It is interesting to see the difference in comments between your blog and mine. As someone who did keep her maiden name, I guess I would put his name closer to his last except I don't generally put our last names on things I sign.
As far as respect and head of household goes, I guess this kind of goes back to my comment from your politeness post. I think it is generational and also cultural. I think for some people it might be a respect thing but for me it really isn't (I am not saying for other people it should be though if that is the way they believe). I see as as equal heads of household. Well, let's face it, Gabe is the head of this household, and I think since we are equal, it really is just a matter of who signs what name goes first. Maybe I should just start making all of us sign. Oh, the mystery over what will be on the next card...

Aramigan said...

Ok, I will be the person that always leaves two comments in a row. First, sorry for all the typos above. Still sick. Second, I looked up proper etiquette but again this is cultural but according to this book:
# When cards are signed on behalf of a couple, the name of the person signing is last.

# If the names include the first names of both husband and wife, the wife’s name is listed first.