When it comes to baby name drama, the Reddit “Am I The A—hole” thread’s cup runneth over. People are so possessive when it comes to names, thinking they can call dibs. Or they are so oblivious, thinking they can name their baby after an ex-girlfriend. Or they insist their daughters be named after Frozen characters and throw a hissy fit when that doesn’t happen. You can’t make this stuff up, folks.
But this is one of the first times we’ve seen grandma name drama. One woman on Reddit has a 6-month-old son and told the internet that her 50-year-old mother-in-law has an “irrational fear of getting old.” And so, you can understand why becoming a grandmother would be … unsettling.
Reddit supports one mom-to-be who is refusing to follow her husband's family naming tradition. https://t.co/K1Pes41Yha
— SheKnows (@SheKnows) October 24, 2022
This woman decided that her son would call her “mummy” or “mama,” and that he would call her husband “daddy.” Simple enough! They then asked their loved ones what they wanted their son to call them, and everyone had simple answers too.
Everyone except this woman’s MIL.
Dun dun dunnnn!
The MIL’s unbelievable request was immediately shut down by the original poster (OP) and her husband.
“So she decided to go and cry to FIL about it saying it’s not our place to tell them what they can and can’t be called,” OP wrote. “Then just recently we discovered that she hadn’t stopped [using the name] so we told her off again about it which ended in a screaming match. Telling us that if she can’t go by what she wants then she’ll just go by nothing.”
And so this new mom turned to the internet to find out just who is the a-hole in this situation.
Please Call Me…
You’re going to want to sit down and buckle up for this one. Are you ready?
This grandmother wants to be called “mama.” MAMA! Can you imagine being a mom and your mother or MIL insisting that your child call them mama?! Our jaws are on the floor and we are at a total loss for words.
WTAF?!
Luckily, while we are still reeling, Redditors have plenty to say, including that this is “incredibly offensive” and that this MIL is not a grandma but rather “a toddler throwing a hissy fit.”
“This sounds a little bit nutsy, in addition to being completely inappropriate — particularly because you’ve told her it doesn’t work for you,” one person said. “It is, in fact, ‘your place’ to dictate a number of things about how your child/children will be raised, including the frequency with which they will see her. That may be something you need to point out to your in-laws in case they are considering further boundary-stomping attempts.”
Pick Something Else
It’s time for this MIL to seriously reassess her decision. Her son and DIL actually gave her the adorable option to be called “Minnie.”
“My in-laws are crazy about Disney,” OP explained. How sweet is that?! Come on, MIL, accept this thoughtful name, and do what you can to keep your familial relationships intact.
Redditors said this is definitely a hill for these parents to die on and that they should choose the MIL’s name and stick with it so their son eventually uses it.
“If she’s not going to choose, I suggest you go with the one that makes her sound the oldest and granniest,” someone said, to which another Redditor replied, “‘Hey go give your old hag a kiss goodbye.’ 😂😂”
Or, as others pointed out, if she won’t go by something else, she can go by nothing.
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