An expecting mom has sought advice on the internet after her mother-in-law made an unreasonable demand concerning her unborn child.
As the 32-year-old woman in question revealed, she is married to a man, 35, and the pair have been living together with the man’s mother, 61, after the woman’s husband passed away.
Recently, the young lady found out that she was 13 weeks pregnant only for the happy news to cause a major rift in the otherwise close-knit family.
“We had found out the results of the gender through a genetic test, so we were also able to share that we are having a baby boy.point 217 |
It was such a lovely moment, and my MIL (mother-in-law) immediately suggested my deceased father-in-law’s first name, which also means ‘fat tail of the lamb’ in their language,” the expecting mom wrote after revealing her husband’s family immigrated to the States from another country.point 252 | 1
“The name is not my cup of tea. I have no personal vendetta against the name, but I just don’t like it or the literal meaning, it is difficult for English speakers to pronounce, and baby boy will grow up in the shadow of someone who was very beloved by the family.
“I gently told MIL at the moment that we have not really started considering names, but we would like something that works across both languages so that no one has any difficulty.
“I didn’t say this part, but I am also concerned about him being teased in school if the name is very different or sounds like something else in English.”
The woman went on to say that the party turned ugly after her mother-in-law ended up leaving the dinner because she was “devastated” that her grandson wouldn’t be named after her late husband.
She also revealed she had since talked to her husband about the matter and confirmed that he agreed she was right for wanting to choose a different name for their child.
The mother-in-law, however, has allegedly remained silent until she suddenly threatened to move out of their house because she didn’t want to live with someone so “rude and disrespectful.”
“I do not want this for my relationship with MIL, my relationship with my husband’s sisters, or their relationship with the baby boy. I honestly thought I was kind in what I said and in my delivery, but MIL is clearly devastated and now I am not sure how to approach this,” the expecting mom concluded.
“I tried to have a discussion with her over breakfast so we could clear the air, but she didn’t even make eye contact. My husband says I need to give her space and that she would never seriously consider moving out. I would appreciate if anyone would help me put together a plan in how to approach her.”
After asking Reddit users for advice, people were quick to take her side and voice concerns about the mother-in-law’s unreasonable demand.
“Your MIL is grieving and not handling it very well. The way I see it, she’s seeking to hold onto, or even regain, her husband through your child. This is, of course, impossible, but it is also inappropriate,” someone wrote.
“While her desire for her grandson to be named after his grandfather is totally fine and understandable, the way she’s emotionally pressuring (manipulating) you to go her way is not ok at all. She has no right whatsoever to demand this from you and your husband. It’s your child, and your choice.”
“She’s grieving, that’s for sure. But her reaction was over the top. No one has any say in baby names except for you and your husband,” another said.
A third suggested: “She’s grieving. But she’s also throwing a tantrum, threatening to move out in order to manipulate you into caving to her demand. Call her bluff. Don’t back down. Let her move out. Her daughters can support her in their own homes.”
What are your thoughts on this matter? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to SHARE this post with your family and friends. For more news and stories, follow us on Facebook!