True story:
As a kid, I always called people “Mr. X” or “Mrs. Y.” That’s how I was brought up.
Fast forward 25 years. I’m working in an electronics store and my friend’s father wants to purchase something. I tell him to come in and perhaps I can get him a discount. As he’s looking through merchandise, I need to get his attention, so I call out to him “Mr. X.” He turns to me and says “Wolf, you’ve known me for twenty five years… you can call me Joe*.”
Even so, I still can’t do it. 🙂
Oddly enough, the only adult I called by first name as a kid was my stepmother. the only reason for that was that that was the way my father and stepmother wanted it. So, they are Dad & Jane* to me (and Grandpa and Jane* to my kids).
As a rule, we have our kids refer to adults as Mr. X or Mrs. X (with the above-mentioned exception of my stepmother).
The Wolf
* No, not their real names.