'My wife bullied me into choosing baby name I didn't want - I'm distraught'
Agreeing on a name for your baby can be a difficult and slightly overwhelming process.
However, most parents will settle on a name before their little one even arrives - often using inspiration from other family members or loved ones who are no longer with them. Compromise is usually necessary, but what happens when either parent isn't budging?
One man has slammed his wife for 'bullying' him into registering their daughter's name, even though he had protested against it. The mother refused to call the child anything else - determined that would be her name - and it's stirred debate online.
Back in 2020, the anonymous wife took to Reddit to explain how her husband had wanted to name their daughter after his late mother - however, his mum's name was very old-fashioned. His wife had said she was happy to use her mother-in-law's name as a middle name, but would not agree to use it as a first name.
They argued about this frequently and never ended up settling the grievance. She explained: "My husband and I were expecting our first child, a girl. A few years ago, he lost his mom. Now, I loved his mom but she had a very 'grandma' sounding name. Think Mildred or Ethel. My husband suggested we name our daughter that. I said while I got the sentimental value, I didn't like it for our daughter's name."
Mum gives her baby the 'most outrageous' name - and is shocked it's approved
She added: "I suggested it as a middle name as a compromise and he said no, no, it should be her first name. I said no, names should have a two yes, one no rule. Conversations about names became a fight for months. He'd veto any name I picked: classic, modern, a nickname of his mom's name but still not the full one. It wasn't what he wanted."
Want to avoid the doom and gloom? Get the latest positive news sent straight to your inbox with our Bright Stuff newsletter
After the wife gave birth, her husband took the opportunity to suggest naming her after his mum again - but she simply ignored it. "Instead, later when asked, I said it was Lily (his mom's name as a middle). He needed to sign off on it and got p***ed when he saw what I did," she said.
"I told him that I wouldn't sign off on his mom's name being the baby's first name and that I gave him ample time to help me pick something else. He reluctantly signed it and does call her Lily. However, he does still (six months later), say I bullied him into naming our daughter something he didn't want."
More than 1,000 people shared their thoughts, with many taking her side. One person replied: "If one parent vetoes a potential name, it's out. I don't care if it's your recently deceased parent, a family tradition, the ideal name you've had in your head since childhood. Naming a child isn't a unilateral decision."
Another commented: "You offered a lot of compromises and he vetoed anything that wasn’t his top choice. I would’ve voted differently if you hadn’t offered multiple compromises that still honoured his mom (including a nickname for her name, which seems reasonable)." While a third added: "As a girl with an old fashioned name, you're not the a**hole. It's annoying to be saddled with a name like that and I've hated it my whole life."
Do you have a baby name story to share? We want to hear all about it. Email us at [email protected]
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
