Godparents
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Topic: Godparents
Posted By: Plushie
Subject: Godparents
Date Posted: 09 September 2010 at 9:37am
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What is the deal with Godparents in this day and age?
Have people chosen to have godparents? What specific function do they have? |
Replies:
Posted By: nicandtyler
Date Posted: 09 September 2010 at 10:33am
for me T's godmum is my best friend and his godfather is DP's bestfriend, for us it was mainly just a special title I guess because they are such good friends of ours. They don't have a specific function or anything like that, just lets them know that they are two really important people in ours and DS's lives  ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
 April '11
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Posted By: amme_eilyk
Date Posted: 09 September 2010 at 10:49am
| our baby has like 4 godparents lol. dh got a bit excited and asked heaps of his friends. they are meant to look after the spiritual wellbeing of the child. but most of the time now they are often more like uncles and aunts and are there for the child if it needs them. |
Posted By: caliandjack
Date Posted: 09 September 2010 at 10:54am
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I thought God Parents were a religious thing I got God parents when I was baptised catholic as a baby. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">   [/url] Angel June 2012 |
Posted By: Plushie
Date Posted: 09 September 2010 at 11:10am
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I think they used to be religious - they sponsered baby at baptisim and were supposed to guide baby and teach them about [blank] religion. I think there is also something about them taking on the baby if the parents died - quite an old school rule from back in the day.
I would like baby to have godparents - there are two close friends in particular i would like to honor, and have them as Amme said - uncles and aunties more then a religious advisor. As father is not on the scene as much, i'd also like baby (a boy) to have a close male figure in his life. Other then my brother, of course. |
Posted By: caliandjack
Date Posted: 09 September 2010 at 11:53am
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We're not baptising baby at this stage she won't be having god parents. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> [/url] Angel June 2012 |
Posted By: rachelsea
Date Posted: 09 September 2010 at 12:20pm
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Our DD has godparents because we got her baptised in the Catholic church (DHs family is Catholic) but neither of them visit her - they only see her when we make the effort. They do both love her though, but don't really have a major role in her life. She's seen them both maybe two or three times this year...
I'm sure others would play a more active role though ------------- DD 4yrs DS 2yrs http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: _SMS_
Date Posted: 09 September 2010 at 1:20pm
Yep i thought this too. DD isnt baptized therefore she doesnt have any godparents. I have friends who have about 6 godparents if not more for there daughter because they didnt want certain friends to feel left out  -------------  
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caliandjack wrote:Posted By: TheKelly
Date Posted: 09 September 2010 at 1:41pm
yep, same here . My children's god parents are my friends , people that I've been friends with for decades who have been there through the good and bad, it doesn't mean they get the children if anything happens to us, because , first of all , I personally think thats outdated and my parents or inlaws would be more likely to have them,and secondly , if we did that ,they would all be seperated , since they all have different godparents ------------- 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: TheKelly
Date Posted: 09 September 2010 at 1:43pm
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(oh, and mine were both baptised ,and have 2 god mothers and 1 god father each( we have more female friends than male ) -------------
http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Plushie
Date Posted: 09 September 2010 at 2:48pm
I don't have godparents myself, and i know people who do but havent seen them in 10 years or so and i wonder if its worth it, especially since i won't be having baby baptised. So what, i send them an email then?  The people i would name as godparents will be there anyway with or without the title.
Just something i've been pondering. |
Posted By: snugglebug
Date Posted: 10 September 2010 at 10:06am
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I think godparents are supposed to be a religious thing, ie you have a ceremony like a baptism or christening. If you're not religious you can do a naming ceremony and have god parents that way but I don't know if they are called something else? I think it's one of those things with not too many rules anymore and you can do it how you think fits your family best. The function of them used to be that they would care for the children if the parents died but I don't think it's that anymore. I see it more as being a role model and good influence and someone who will always be there for them.
I am going to have my sister as godmother and brother and brother in law as godfathers. The reason Im having 2 godfathers is because brother in law lives in England and works as a pilot so he's not around that much so I'd like to have him but have my brother who will be more of an influence in baby's life. We will be having baby christened at the same church we married in, when he's a few months old I think. ------------- Me 28, DH 29 DS born 20 Nov 2010 (4 years old) #2 due October 7 http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: WestiesGirl
Date Posted: 10 September 2010 at 11:51am
No godparents here for Jackson. I personally feel its more a religious thing traditionally. DH is a godparent to a friends daughter and another friends son and does nothing really  Albeit he does have regular contact with their parents so I guess thats something.
We do however have 2 guardians for Jackson. ------------- Our Angel July 08  Gone but not forgotten
And to complete our family, our princess has arrived 
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Posted By: kiwisj
Date Posted: 10 September 2010 at 1:16pm
Just wanted to say re Godparents being involved in your life/your kids' lives ... my Godparents were close friends of my parents when they were all younger. They've stayed good friends of BOTH my parents through their divorce and remarriages and came to my wedding as well I get emails from them every once in a while and they always seem to keep up with what's going on over here. They're also good friends of my aunty and uncle so I suppose that helps 
DH on the other hand hasn't seen his Godparents since he was school age and when he asked his parents if they wanted to invite them to our wedding they said they'd rather invite another couple instead! So I don't think it's just a modern thing that Godparents do or don't keep in touch. ------------- SJ Callum - Dec 2008 Daniel - Oct 2010 |
Posted By: snugglebug
Date Posted: 10 September 2010 at 1:21pm
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I never had much to do with my godparents because my parents chose friends of theirs then they slowly drifted apart and hardly see eachother anymore. They did come to my wedding though. Same with my sister's godparents.
For this reason I'm choosing family over friends because you never know what will happen or how permanent friends are even if you think it's forever ------------- Me 28, DH 29 DS born 20 Nov 2010 (4 years old) #2 due October 7 http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: milipidi
Date Posted: 10 September 2010 at 4:45pm
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I have found that the role of the Godparent depends on the religious practices of the family. If you are regular church goers then the more traditional role of godparent would be considered when choosing the person.
If you are more an occasional or special occasion only chruch goer then the criteria becomes more about giving someone a place of honour. This may be to the people who would be your childs guardians should the worse happen, or for a family friend to recognise the close relationship you have with them. As for the relationship your child has with their godparents. Maybe this is something you could discuss with the possible candidates. Do you want them to be part of the childs life and act as a secondary support system or are you happy for a more honorific position. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: JadeC
Date Posted: 11 September 2010 at 8:42pm
DS has godparents, even though we are completely non-religious. For me, it's important that he has people in his life he has a special connection with - people he could go to if he's pissed off at us!!  ------------- http://pregnancy.baby-gaga.com/" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Plushie
Date Posted: 12 September 2010 at 3:23pm
| ^^ Thats a good point as well - i'd love him to have someone cool in his life that he can go to when he's older and his uncool parents don't understand. Or when its too embaressing to come to us. |