Like you, we were taught to use Mr. and Mrs. If I saw former teachers or the parents of my old friends today, that is how I would still address them because that is how I knew them years ago. I’m in my early 50’s.

I agree, I always address adults formally and passed that on to my children who are now in their early 40's. I think this acknowledges them as 'elders' and is a sign of respect. But again, we were all brought up to formally thank people for gifts etc. and that apparently has started to fall by the wayside so who knows what's now expected.

I also was taught to use Mr. or Mrs. or some were like relatives and called Aunt, Uncle, Grandma and Grandpa.

I found it strange when moving to the south from the north, that people call me "Miss Linda" and my hubby "Mr. Ivan" using our first names. Our young sweet mailman says "Hi Mama and Hi Dad".

I was raised that way as well. But I am far beyond the designation for 'adulthood' and so dropped that practice years ago :-) These are now my peers and they get addressed the way they prefer but most typically by their first name. And to be honest, I do not care to be addressed as Mrs. (or Ms.) anybody and prefer to be addressed by my first name as well. It IS my name after all :-))

As a senior, I can not stand to be called Mrs. xxx by people who I know and are a mere 20 or 30 years younger then I am. If I have met you once, call me by my first name.

Respect is not shown by the name you call someone.

As above using Mr and Mrs for acquaintances, then first names with friendship. Also it's always correct to use "sir" and "ma'am", even to children. I've been Miss (first name) my whole life, even after marriage.

Same here, was raised with Mr. or Mrs.

A couple of years ago I reconnected with a childhood playmate. Sheri's mom was always Mrs. McCormick. Mrs. McCormick replied to something I'd posted on Sheri's Facebook. I started a chat with her, and said "I don't know what to call you! You were always Mrs. Mccormick! Is it now Delores?" She replied, "you're a grownup now, so it's Delores."

I do now call her Delores but my first thought is always Mrs. Mccormick.

We were also raised to address adults by Mr. or Mrs. - unless that individual told us to call them by their first name. And I feel that as the older person in most of these instances then it's my place to make the first move and ask them to use my first name.

Last week I ran into one of my son's classmates from high school - and he quite naturally greet me with Mrs. .....this young man is now in his mid 40's and I gave him a hug and said please call me by my first name. He tried but when he left he still said "bye, Mrs..." old habits are hard to quit.

My own children were raised calling their aunts and uncles by their first names. It just happened. The kids and the relatives still turned out great.

I was just taught to respect adults and to know my place. Teachers were addressed formally as were the mothers of my friends (until I was told otherwise). We never addressed my parents friends as Aunt or Uncle, nor did we address them as Mr. Miss or Mrs.. It took me a while to get used to living in the South where everyone addresses the adults with a Miss or Mr in front of their first name. The first person to ever address me that way was an 87 year old man named Mr. Joe and I’ll never forget how out of place I felt. I got used to it eventually, but it sure took a while.

The one thing that was really ingrained into us was the way we behaved when company was over or we when we were in public. Our mother would not put up with loud voices, playing in the isles or the usual, “ Mom can I have this or that?” We were expected to behave like the young ladies we were and look out when we didn’t. Oh and she had a strict rule that we were to never interrupt when a grown up was talking....that was a pet peeve for sure.

My parents had a large social circle and we called all of their friends by first name. The children of those friends greeted my parents on a first name basis as well. When it came to my friends from school or around the neighborhood, I addressed their parents by whatever I was told to call them. Some were Mr./Mrs. and some were by first name. Teachers were always Mr./Mrs and still are.

As an adult, I've always preferred to be called by my first name. When someone addresses me as Mrs., I look around to see who they are talking to.

I always was taught to call adults Mr. and Mrs. Recently I sent a 100-year-old b-day card to my best friend's mother in which I said I guess I can call you Lillian now instead of Mrs. N.

Yes, Mr. and Mrs. for teachers, some adults, not all. No Aunts or Uncles if they were not really my Aunt or Uncle. I have a friend from the south that calls me Miss Sue, it seems very endearing.

Always Mrs or Mr till my 40's when they said to call them by their first name. I never really got use to that. Growing up from 9 YO I had a girlfriend whose mother was married 5 times. I would forget and call her by her previous husband's name. By the time I got use to calling her by her new husband's name, she would be moving on to the new one and it would start all over again. We got a laugh out of it in our 50's.

Sir, Mam

Mr and Mrs.....Aunt and Uncle

Q-"How were you raised to address the adults in your life?"

A- Politely

Everyone has an obvious personal title, sometimes called an honorific like Mr, Mrs, Ms, Dr, etc. My guidance when younger was to use that as a default, and ask "how should I address you" or "what do you prefer I call you" when uncertain. As an adult, when introduced to another adult, unless it was someone quite older or of a lofty position suggesting using Mr or its female equivalents., it is always a first name. When in doubt, ask. Or, if I say "Please call me Elmer", the other person will usually respond in kind.

An interesting duality - on a social or personal basis, physicians and other health care providers always ask to be called Mary or Bob, not Dr. Ggggg. But when seeing one as a patient, who's not a friend or acquaintance of a friend or relative of mine, then it's Dr. Ggggg. And even then, sometimes, it's "please call me Bob". Is it my senior citizen status that leads to that?

Herr or Frau, aka Mr. and Mrs. so and so... but we did have a few uncles and aunts that were not actually family.

Moni

We are so old that all of our young doctors could be our kids, so I do call them by their first names except when calling in to make an appointment, but in person it is David, Sandra, Brian, etc.

We were conventional -- most adults were "Mr/Mrs" until up in our high school years, after which we gradually switched over to first names.

One of DH's friends called his own parents by their first names. Now that, I always found odd, no matter what age of parent/child.

I dont really remember any specifics. My teachers were Mr. Or Miss Last name. That's all. My mom HATES to be called ma'am. I don't know why.

As an adult, I prefer to be addressed by my first name by everyone. Friends, acquaintances, in doctors or dentists or other professional settings, whatever. Call me Amy. I have 15 nieces and nephews, and some of them call me "Auntie Amy", some just call me Amy. Sometimes the same kid will call me both in the same day. I am called "Miss Amy" by children of my acquaintance that are not family. And many adults refer to me that way as well. It is a southern thing. It's an endearment without being weird, and also being polite without being formal at the same time. I also answer to several nicknames. I dont think SO has called me Amy in YEARS. He calls me by several pet names.

If I am unsure, I ask what I should call someone. Most people I have met prefer to be called by their first names.

I called all adults by their honorific, or aunt or uncle, except for my mother's two closest friends, who were really like aunts to me, but I just called them by their first names.

When I had children it was very hard for me to accept being called Mrs. My instinct was to have he children call me by my Christian name.

Back when I was working at a K-8 elementary school, we had a superintendent who was adamant about being addressed as Mr. Smith. One year at the start of summer vacation, one of our graduating 8th graders came back to school on the first day of summer break, and upon seeing the superintendent, said "hi Bob", got on his bike and rode away. We never saw him again - I guess after putting in his nine years at the school, he just wanted to address the super by his first name rather than by Mr. Smith.

Mr. Smith did not like it one little bit, but I thought it was funny.

My children went to a pk - 8 school where they called their teachers Jane and John from prek -5 and then hey were to switch to honorifics at 6 th grade. There was some overlap of teachers. I thought it was a very strange system.

I graduated in 1971. I had a business teacher who still lives in the area. He has long since retired and owns an insurance agency, come to think of it, he may have retired from that as well. Anyway, to this day whenever I see him I address him as "Mr.". It takes me right back to my junior year in school, still feel like a student! lol He calls me by my first name.

Mr., Mrs., Miss

I was raised to call those older than me "Mr" and "Mrs", and close friends of my parents were "Aunt" and "Uncle". I can recall when I was about 5 or 6 being horrified when I realised the girl next door (who called all adults by their first names) was referring to my Dad and her Dad when she spoke of "Tom and Sonny".

One of my first jobs was in an office where company policy was to use first names even for senior staff. I struggled to call my supervisor, who was in his 40s, by his first name, but I absolutely couldn't call the head of department, nearly retirement age, anything but "Mr".

After nearly 40 years of marriage I still feel weird calling my MIL by her first name ("Mum" and its variants are not an option) so generally I structure sentences so I don't need to call her a name :-)

Our DD was raised to say "Mr" and "Mrs", but in DH's family they don't use "Aunt" and "Uncle" so she calls her aunts and uncles by their first names. Even DH's Dad didn't want to be called "Grandpa" so he was always "Tom" to her, though MIL loves being "Granny".

I remember when I was in my late teens acting as an adult supervisor on a school camp. It felt weird when the kids called me "Miss ---" :-) And when we moved to the town where we have lived for 35 years now there was a dear elderly lady who always called everyone "Mr" and "Mrs, even me which also felt weird. When the choir to which she belonged came to a fellowship evening with my choir, the woman from our group who was giving out name tags asked this lady her name. "Mrs ---", she replied. Our member asked her first name. "Well, it's Jean, but everyone calls me Mrs ---", was the answer. Until that point I had never even considered that Mrs --- even had a first name :-D

I was working at a high school recently and the teachers (in front of the students) and the students called me just "Miss" which was kind of sweet.

I am okay when anyone addresses me as Mrs, Miss. Miz, or Maam used alone as one word. They may or may not add my given name or last name. I do not care. Or use just my given name alone. I do not care. The sweetest name I answer to is Grandma. It is doubly nice when one of my granddaughter's friends says "Hi, Grandma" and gives me a little hug as well. Forgot to answer the original post question. I was raised in the south to use a polite title before the name of any person who was not still a teen.

Respect/familiarity/sign of authority...there are reasons we were taught to use titles. I tended to teach my children as I was taught. Adults you use titles and last names. There was a play ground monitor back in the day I had to request he not allow my small children call him "Joe". There could come a time when your authority could be a safety issue and I would prefer that maintained. My kids grew up using Aunt/Uncle so and so for my siblings and I was surprised when my SIL noticed and started having her kids do the same. The "children" are all closer to 30 than 20 now and continue to address us with Aunt and Uncle...I personally enjoy being reminded I AM AN AUNT. I find it startling even now when strangers/wait staff etc. take my name off my credit card or check and use my first name. I would prefer to live in an age when we addressed people we did not know by Mr/Ms. But those days are past and to stand on formality and gently remind people what I prefer--only makes for an uncomfortable interaction. sigh Even in the classroom it's starting to disintegrate. I think we will be sorry for it but time will tell.