Baby of the Week

Corey Turner is our baby of the week.

At his naming ceremony, a huge crowd gathered to rejoice with his parents Erin and Scott.  It was an occasion not only to formally give Corey his name, but also to celebrate his first birthday.
During the ceremony, Corey's parents affirmed that their most important hope for his future is that he be happy and respectful.  How lucky is Corey that he has parents who love him with such strong unconditional love.

Naming Ceremony at the time of the First Birthday

A favourite time for a child's naming ceremony is the time of the first birthday.  Often the child's first birthday is the convenient time to call the family and friends together to celebrate the addition to the family. 
Usually, during the first year of the child's life it is one thing after another and the family often finds that the celebration that takes place when the child turns one doubles as an opportunity to carry out a formal naming ceremony

Choosing a name for your child

Having trouble finding a name for your child?  Look no further.  Here is a site that has unlimited ideas for you to consider: 
http://www.babynamestats.com/

Some words of wisdom

If I raised my child again.
If I had my child to raise all over again,
I'd finger paint more, and point the finger less.
I would do less correcting and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I would care to know less and know to care more.
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
I'd do more hugging and less tugging,
I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.
I would be firm less often, and affirm much more.
I'd teach less about the love of power,
And more about the power of love.
        Diana Loomans

What does Wikipedia say about naming ceremonies in Australia?

Well, it is short and sweet.  This is what it says:

Australia

In Australia, a naming ceremony is a possible secular alternative to a Church Christening. It is a welcoming ceremony to the child. Parents may still choose godparents if desired, or these may be referred to under a different title, such as mentors.

Baby Naming Sites on the internet

There are quite a few sites on the Internet in Australia if you are looking for help in crafting a Baby Naming Ceremony.  However, here is one site form the U.K. that you may well find helpful:  U.K.Site

Francis Thompson once wrote a lovely essay on the poet Shelly.  I would like to quote here a passage from that essay which I have seen modified and mangled many times, but the original words of Thompson are a lovely celebration of childhood which readers of this blog will find inspirational:

"We, of this self-conscious, incredulous generation, sentimentalise our children, analyse our children, think we are endowed with a special capacity to sympathise and identify ourselves with children; we play at being children. 
And the result is that we are not more child-like, but
our children are less child-like. It is so tiring to stoop to the
child, so much easier to lift the child up to you. Know you what it
is to be a child? It is to be something very different from the man
of to-day. It is to have a spirit yet streaming from the waters of
baptism; it is to believe in love, to believe in loveliness, to
believe in belief; it is to be so little that the elves can reach to
whisper in your ear; it is to turn pumpkins into coaches, and mice
into horses, lowness into loftiness, and nothing into everything,
for each child has its fairy godmother in its own soul; it is to
live in a nutshell and to count yourself the king of infinite space..."

A Mother's Wish

A Mother’s Wish 

I hope my child looks back on today

And sees a mother who had time to play.

There will be years for cleaning and cooking,

But children grow up when you’re not looking.

Tomorrow I’ll do all the chores you can mention

But today, my baby needs time and attention.

So settle down cobwebs; dust go to sleep,

I’m cuddling my baby, and babies don’t keep.

Anon

I found the above verse on:  Readings
There are a few other nice readings suitable for a Naming Ceremony with Jim Noonan there.

Procrastination

 
Fight procrastination! Give Jim Noonan a ring today and talk to him about that naming ceremony you have in mind. (03) 9379 3824   Or click Jim Noonan and sent him an email.

Bespoke Naming Ceremonies

Child Naming Ceremonies are becoming more and more popular around the world.  You can see evidence of this if you visit a website from the United Kingdom which shows that families can choose to run their own naming ceremony by purchasing a standard text for a ceremony and delivering it themselves or they can engage a celebrant to conduct a standard ceremony, or, finally, they can engage a celebrant to deliver what they call a "Bespoke Ceremony".  Here is the link if you would like more information about these offerings:
http://www.civilceremonies.co.uk/naming.htm

Jim Noonan from Naming Ceremonies in Melbourne, Australia offers the Bespoke Ceremony every time.  That means that he carefully tailors each ceremony to the personal needs and values of the family.  The result is that these naming ceremonies have a truly deep, personal and intimate flavour.  More often than not, the family already has a personal bond with the celebrant perhaps because he has formerly conducted their wedding ceremony or because he has assisted at the naming ceremony for another member of the family.  In any event, these naming ceremonies always involve the growth of a rich personal unity with the family that often endures over many years.  No wonder so many people like to have their naming ceremonies conducted by "the family celebrant".  

It might be added that the ceremonies offered by the United Kingdom group are costed at a quite reasonable level.  But the equivalent Australian model is normally even more economical.

Little One

Here is another poem that is very popular at my naming ceremonies:

Bless this little heart,
This white soul that has won
The kiss of heaven for the earth.
He loves the light of the sun,
He loves the sight of his mother's face,
He has not learned to despise the dust, nor hanker after gold.
Clasp him to your heart and bless him.
He has come into this land of one hundred crossroads.
I do not know how he chose you from the crowd,
How he came to your door,
and grasped your hand to ask the way.

He will follow you laughing and talking
and not a doubt in his heart,
Keep his trust, lead him straight and bless him.
Lay your hand on his head, and pray that
though the waves underneath grow threatening,
yet the breath from above may come
and fill his sails and waft him to the haven of peace.
Forget him not in your hurry.
Let him come to your heart and bless him.

Wishes for the Wishing Well

When you have a naming ceremony for your child, you might like to try something that gets to involve everybody present and which will become a precious keepsake over the years.  You will need to have a pack of cards on which guests can write special wishes that they would like to offer to the child whose naming day it is.  They could be blank cards or they could have printed on them words such as, "On your naming day we wish you ...."
At a particular point in the ceremony, a "Wishing Well" could be taken around to the guests and they could place their cards into it.  The parents will be delighted to read these cards and in future years the child will be equally delighted to hear what family and friends wanted to say to them at the start of their lives.

Grandparents are given special recognition at ceremonies

Thomas Davidson once said:
"Grandparents, with a lifetime of experience behind them, and freed from the daily struggle for survival which characterises the early years of marriage, bring a unique and special love, understanding, and wise guidance to the grandchild who has the good fortune of access to them."  We agree, and always celebrate the presence of the grandparents at a Naming Ceremony and give them proper appreciation and recognition.

Do You Have Godparents Appointed at a Naming Ceremony?

More often than not, it appears that parents choose to appoint Godparents as a feature of Naming Ceremonies in Australia.  Even though they normally want a ceremony that has no particular religious significance, they like to stay in tune with the traditional baptism ceremony to the extent that they want to preserve the tradition of having Godparents.
However, sometimes they like to remove all likenesses to religious ceremonies and accordingly they like to appoint persons who are encouraged to take a special interest in the life of the child being named calling such persons by a different title.  The most common titles used for this role are: Mentors, Guardians or Sponsors.

Ryleigh's Naming Day

Recent wet weather in Melbourne did not dampen the spirits of Ryleigh's family on his Naming Day.  We found a dry spot and had a ball.  Everyone looks pretty happy!!!

Readings at a Naming Ceremony

One of the most appealing features of naming ceremonies is a carefully chosen reading that reflects some of the things that are important for a family.  Often they find that a touch of humour brings a reading to life and a good example of a reading that has this feature is the following:

I want to be just like my Dad
Surely that's not all that bad.
Now I'm small and smooth and cute,
But soon I'll be a hairy brute!
I'll be cool and have to shave,
I'll be tall and strong and brave!
It would make me really glad
To follow in the footsteps of my Dad
I've got all these things to come -
But gee - I hope I look like Mum.

Free Name Poems

On this screen you will notice that we are offering free name poems for the children in your family.

Perhaps you would like a sample of such name poems.  Soon we will be conducting a naming ceremony for a child to be named Chelsea.  Here is the poem we have composed for her:

CHELSEA
C is for Charming, you brighten our days
H is for Heavenly, you simply amaze
E is for Exquisite, a treasure to find
L is for Lovely, clever and kind
S is for Splendid from head to toe
E is for Enchanting, a delight to know
A is for Admirable, you are so blest
Chelsea, simply the best

Click on the email link in the left column and send us the name for which you want a poem and we will compose a totally original poem in A4 format so that you can print it of on paper of your own choice.

What Actually Happens at a Naming Ceremony?

 

At a typical Naming Ceremony, you and your family and friends gather, usually at your home and typically at about 11:00 AM on a Sunday and have a joyful party.  To begin the party you invite along a professional celebrant who will have devised with you a ceremony to celebrate the wonderful event of the birth of your child.  The child is officially named, Godparents are usually appointed.  You rejoice together that a new life has been launched.

What Exactly is a Civil Naming Ceremony?

Parents naturally want to celebrate the birth of a child, and if a parent is not a member of a church, how do they go about it?
Engaging a Civil Celebrant enables them to celebrate the birth and naming of a child with family and friends, without necessarily having any religious content, though, of course having religious content is still possible without having the intention of initiating the child into a church community.
Furthermore, couples may have children from previous relationships - and what better way to make these children feel part of a new family than by celebrating with a Civil Naming ceremony? Children of any age can have a Naming ceremony.
If there are older children in the family they can be included at the same ceremony for a baby; a skilled celebrant will know ways of including them in the ceremony.
When couples adopt a child, a Civil Naming ceremony is a suitable way of welcoming the child into your lives and declaring your commitment to giving the child a nurturing home. It is also an opportunity to share with family and friends your dreams for the child's future and to encourage their help and support since there will always be many responsibilities and challenges in the calling to raise a child.
If you would like to consider a Naming Ceremony in Melbourne, Australia, ring Jim Noonan – Civil Celebrant today on (03) 9379 3824 and have a chat about what you are planning.

Where do I find a Professional Celebrant?

Contact ChildNaming and you will be given skilled and obliging service that will be able to satisfy your desire for a quality ceremony at a reasonable budget.  You will be guided gently through all the options you have for a truly happy family day. 
RING NOW!
Speak to Jim Noonan at ChildNaming:(03)9379 3824