A mother has asked Reddit users if she and her husband are "crazy" to consider changing their son's name as a gift for his seventh birthday.
The mum explained that the couple adopted their son three years ago, and that he has a "rather unusual name". While she didn't want to share his name at first, she did say it was the name of a piece of furniture.
When the couple adopted their son, they decided to keep his name because they didn't think it would be right to change it. But since then the son has been teased about his name, and he has decided he doesn't want to keep it.
The mother explained that when her son started school last year he "was getting made fun of for his name. I told him that he could use one of his middle names if he preferred that. He decided to use Harrison from that point forward."
Now the boy is known as Harrison by all his friends and family.
"He gets upset any time he sees his actual first name written down on forms," the mum wrote. "He [also] gets upset when he has a substitute [teacher] and she calls him [by his first name]. He really doesn't like his first name and he said it makes him think bad things."
The mum explained, "His seventh birthday is coming up and he asked if we could change his name to Harrison for his birthday present."
"Would you let your kid do it?" she asked.
The boy received overwhelming support from Reddit users.
One commenter said the parents should grant the child's birthday wish. "In the case where neither parent is attached to the name, the child hates it and it's unusual enough to draw negative attention? Definitely."
Another wrote, "I'd say in 99 per cent of situations the kid is too young to make this decision. I'd also say this is the 1 per cent."
The mother appreciated the supportive comments, but said she was worried her son will resent her later.
"I just worry about his regretting it and resenting us for allowing him to do it," she wrote. "Probably an irrational fear, but that's why I've come to Reddit."
One commenter responded, "I think it's more likely that he resents you when he's older for making him keep the name. As others have said, he can change it to whatever he wants when he's older, but for now he has a very reasonable desire. I'd grant it. The name clearly is a source of nothing but distress."
Later in the thread, after someone guessed it correctly, the mum admitted her son's name is Closet. "From what I know, he was born in a closet," she said.
Once she admitted the name, support for the name change was even more overwhelming, with one commenter saying, "No offence, but I would definitely want to change my name if it was Closet."