My mother-in-law wants me to change my baby’s name – but I refuse to now I know the reason why
A pregnant woman is at war with her mother-in-law over the baby name she has chosen.
The expectant mother recently had dinner with her husband’s family, where she finally decided to reveal her baby’s name and gender.
She kept the information a secret but wanted to share her joy with only a few weeks to go until she was about to give birth to her son Shawn.
But when she shared the happy news, her mother-in-law turned pale with shock and demanded that she choose a different name for her baby.
A pregnant woman is involved in a furious conflict with her mother-in-law
‘My in-laws were silent for a moment before asking if we had considered any other options. Apparently Shawn is the name of my 17 year old sister-in-law Ashley’s former bully who tormented her [for years]’, the pregnant woman wrote on Reddit.
She said that while she sympathized, it was difficult for her husband to agree on a baby name.
“It took us forever to choose a name,” she said. “Shawn is the only one we can agree on.”
Dinner quickly turned sour and ended shortly after.
But the mother-in-law did not give up.
“She texted me and my husband again asking us to find a new name for Ashley’s sake.
‘Could I be the asshole who didn’t want to change it? It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that we were able to agree on that.’
She also revealed that they didn’t know Ashley’s bully’s name until dinner, and that they didn’t choose the name out of malice.
Many were stunned that the couple could not find enough compassion to choose another name.
“Shawn is not a unique, pretty name,” one person said. “It’s in the same category as Ryan, Taylor, Kevin, Drew. It’s okay to find something else that’s so basic and generic.”
Another said, “I understand how hard it is to find a name that feels right, but for me, after learning this, Shawn would quickly become another name that didn’t work.” It’s only set in stone for a few weeks, so I’d just go back to the drawing board.”
But others blamed the mother-in-law for demanding the change.
“My spouse and sibling have the same name. Somehow you just compartmentalize it,” one person shared.
“I feel like if a new baby in my family shared a name with my bully I would just adapt,” another wrote. ‘AAfter all, Shawn is a VERY common name, so I can’t panic every time I hear it and survive in this world.”