Mum reveals parenting guilt after realising she’s accidentally named her baby daughter after the coronavirus pandemic

(Image credit: Getty)

A mum has revealed a serious parenting blunder.

Taking to discussion website Mumsnet in search of advice, the new parent explained she’s suffering some regret after noticing her baby daughter’s name has an unfortunate connection to the coronavirus pandemic.

Confessing that she is considering legally changing the little girl’s Marmite name because of the connotations it now holds, she wrote, ‘Always loved earthy and nature names for girls so after a couple of weeks of deliberation once she was born we named her Sage.

Every day at 5pm there’s a government press conference where they talk about "SAGE" "what SAGE says" and their "consultations with SAGE" before explaining that SAGE stands for the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies.

All I can think is that from now on for the rest of her life whenever I tell people (or she tells people ) her name is Sage all people will think of is this pandemic and all they will mention is the government advisory committee!

Credit: Getty

Oh, dear…

It was already a bit of a Marmite name and I’ve never had very positive responses to it, even before this,’ she added.

Admitting she fears her daughter will grow up and be teased for her moniker, the poster went on, ‘If she grows up to hate her name I will regret not changing it when I had the chance, but then she knows her name would it be cruel and confusing to change it now?

It’s causing me so much mum guilt, anxiety and worry.’

While some respondents provided some reassurance, others were adamant the name should be ditched.

I've watched almost all of the Govt briefings and despite that when you said that was her name, I didn't think of the commute, just the herb,’ one insisted.

Change it if you don't love it, but not because of this. 12 months from now no one will associate Sage with a pandemic,’ agreed another.

Meanwhile, another starkly stated, ‘Yep I'd absolutely change it.’

Caitlin Elliott
Junior News Editor

Caitlin is a Junior News Editor for Goodto.com, covering all things royal, celeb, lifestyle, food, and family. Having set her sights on becoming a magazine journalist when she was a child, Caitlin took on work experience stints at local papers and titles such as Cosmopolitan, Now, Reveal and Take a Break while studying for her Multimedia Journalism degree and has interviews with celebs, reality stars and the Archbishop of Canterbury under her belt (of course, she couldn't resist asking him about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry).