Sure, parents sometimes make some…interesting choices when it comes to naming their child. But the key word there is choice. It probably should go without saying that it’s not the best move to insert an opinion on something rather personal and vulnerable, especially when that opinion is not requested.
But nonetheless, people do cross this boundary, expressing their disapproval and giving new moms and dads yet another reason to second guess themselves.
As one frustrated mom shared on Reddit, her own in-laws gave what she described as the “most unhinged” reaction to her newborn’s name, leaving her and her husband completely “crushed.”
At first, everything went smoothly.
“I just had a baby this week,” the mom wrote in her post. “We were still in the hospital when we announced her name and got a slew of the usual responses that normal, sane people say when hearing about the name of a baby (‘what a lovely name!’). Because saying anything different is insane, right?”
But then when her husband texted his side of the family to share the newborn daughter’s name, all hell broke loose.
Mind you, these parents didn’t name their child Watermelon Gumdrop or Fern Gully or something else truly out there. The name they chose, which caused them a lot of unnecessary grief, was Rosa.
Not only does Rosa, the Spanish word for “rose,” sound lovely, it carries all poetic meaning symbolized by the flower: hope, love and courage. What’s not to like?
But instead of celebrating their name choice, the mother-in-law apparently responded with ““no, I don’t really like that name. I much prefer Violet.”
“We were stunned,” the woman continued. “I simply cannot imagine being a family member who’s being INFORMED of a newborn’s name, and thinking you should have input…We LOVE our daughter’s name, and did not want to have our first moments with our daughter marred by this comment.”
But wait, it gets worse. The family then called the hospital several times after their texts were ignored. Then the following day, the husband’s sister also sent a barrage of texts with “alternative she prefers”.
Then, when told that the entire family on the mom’s side supported the name, the mother-in-law laughed and said “they must not have good taste- nobody here likes it. Nobody.”
And here is what really shows the effect this appalling behavior really had: “We are sleep deprived. Coming down from an emotional high, during which our daughter was in NICU and I almost needed a blood transfusion because of how much blood I lost. My husband, so stoic and assured, is f**king crushed. I’m FUMING. I will NEVER forget how they made my husband feel during one of the most vulnerable and special times in his life,” the mom wrote.
Most Unhinged Reaction To Naming Your Child?
byu/UWhatMate innamenerds
People who read this woman’s story were “livid” on her behalf, and rallied to give her some support long overdue.
“What on earth is wrong with Rosa???? It’s a beautiful name!! Tell your mother-in-law she is ridiculous and she can shut up immediately, if not sooner,” one person commented.
Another pointed to how truly ridiculous this situation was, writing, ““The name is ROSA? I thought from reading this that it was at least going to be a controversial name. Rosa is beautiful. Even if it’s not your cup of tea, it’s hard to find anything wrong with it. OP should take this as the sign it is and reevaluate their individual relationships with that side of the family.”
Several even suggested going into little-to-no-contact mode with that side of the family, since odds are they wouldn’t prove any more helpful in the stressful postpartum days to come.
“Tell her she doesn’t need to meet baby if she is so insistent on the name being changed,” one person commented.
Sadly, sometimes boundaries must be pushed a little further with those who will not respect more lenient ones. Especially when it comes to family members. And especially when it comes to parents trying to raise their kids in the most healthy environment possible. Hopefully these parents were able to move forward and enjoy welcoming their little Rosa into the world.
Source: https://www.upworthy.com/baby-name-unhinged-reaction