Parenthood is full of surprising moments, but nothing prepared me for the day my daughter, Ava, came home from kindergarten and casually announced, “My teacher thinks my mom’s name is Jessica.” I stared at her, coffee mug in hand, not sure I’d heard right. I’m her mother—Sarah—and Jessica isn’t even in our family tree.
I tried to laugh it off, but that night an email from Ava’s teacher, Mrs. Campbell, landed in my inbox:
“Hi Jessica, thank you for sending Ava’s lunchbox today. She had a great day!”
The Mystery of “Jessica”
I replied, gently correcting Mrs. Campbell. “Actually, I’m Ava’s mom, Sarah.” She apologized for the mix-up, saying that Ava insisted her mom was named Jessica. Puzzled and a little worried, I tucked Ava into bed and asked, “Sweetie, why did you tell your teacher your mom’s name is Jessica?”
Ava shrugged, her big eyes wide with innocence. “Jessica sounds like a princess. I wanted my teacher to think my mom was a princess, too.”
The answer was so adorably childlike, my annoyance melted into a mixture of amusement and relief. But the situation lingered in my mind for days.
When Kids Rewrite Their Story
As the week went on, the story took on a life of its own. At pickup, another mom waved and called out, “Hi Jessica!” I smiled awkwardly. The neighbor’s kid asked if Jessica could come to the next playdate. I realized quickly that Ava’s fantasy version of our family had already spread further than I’d expected.
I decided to talk to Ava again, gently. “I love that you think Jessica is a princess name. But I’m really proud of being your mom, and I hope you are too. Can we tell everyone my real name from now on?”
She hugged me tight. “I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t mean to make you sad.”
I assured her she hadn’t. “You can call me anything you want at home, but at school, let’s stick to Sarah. Deal?” She nodded, satisfied with the compromise.
Navigating Embarrassment and Humor
It took a little while for the “Jessica” confusion to fade. At the next parent-teacher conference, Mrs. Campbell greeted me with a good-natured smile. “I promise, Sarah, I’ve updated all my notes!” We both laughed, and she shared stories about other kids giving themselves—and their parents—hilarious alternate identities.
I realized how easily young children blend reality and imagination. For Ava, names were flexible and magical, a way to make the world a little more like the stories she loved.
What I Learned
Parenting is full of unexpected twists—and sometimes, embarrassment. I learned to lean into the humor, to recognize that a child’s version of reality is often sweetly innocent, not malicious or calculated. Correcting the record matters, but so does letting your child’s imagination run wild, within reason.
Ava still loves princess names, but now she proudly introduces me as “my mom, Sarah—she’s a real-life superhero.”
Final Thought
If your child ever gives you a surprise new identity, try to see the world through their eyes for a moment. It’s okay to correct the details, but don’t miss the magic in the mix-up. After all, sometimes parenting is about guiding them gently back to the truth—while cherishing the imagination along the way.
