For all the joy that children bring into this world, one could argue that the best moment of being a parent is the moment you learn you'll become a parent.
After all, rewarding as being a parent is, it also comes with an almost endless array of challenges.
Beginning with what to name your child.
Redditor Beginning_Date1924 and her husband were thrilled to learn they were becoming first time parents.
Making matters easier, they also came to a firm agreement on what their first-born's name would be if it was a boy.
Upon learning it was a girl, however, they found themselves back at the drawing board, after the original poster (OP) flatly refused her husband's alternative suggestion.
Wondering if she was being unreasonable, the OP took to the subReddit "Am I The A**hole" (AITA), where she asked fellow Redditors:
"AITA for rejecting the worst name ever for our offspring?"
The OP explained why she wouldn't even consider her husband's suggestion for their soon-to-be-born daughter's name:
"So, my husband (38 M[ale]) and I (36 F[emale]) are expecting our first child, a bouncing baby girl due in a few months."
"We were both over the moon when we found out the gender, but now things have gotten . . . complicated, to say the least."
"See, when we first started talking about names, the 'boy name' was immediately decided: Stuart Jr., after my husband."
"No problem there, it's a classic name and carries family meaning."
"But, for a girl, things got murky."
"My husband suggested Stuarta."
"No, you're not having a stroke."
"Apparently, his logic is that since Stuart ends in 't', we can just add an 'a' to make it feminine."
"I tried explaining why that doesn't quite work, how it sounds more like a furniture brand than a human name, how she'd be endlessly correcting people and explaining its origin."
"He's adamant though, says it 'honors' him while giving our daughter a unique name."
"I've suggested alternatives: feminine names that maybe share a similar sound or meaning to Stuart, names he's mentioned liking in the past, even just going back to the drawing board entirely."
"But he's fixated on Stuarta."
"Now, I love my husband dearly, and I understand wanting to honor family."
"But I can't imagine subjecting our daughter to a lifetime of awkward stares and endless questions about her 'unusual' name."
"I also worry about potential bullying and the impact it could have on her self-esteem."
"So, Reddit, am I the jerk for refusing to budge on Stuarta? Is there any compromise I haven't considered? Help a soon-to-be mama out!"
Fellow Redditors weighed in on where they believed the OP fell in this particular situation, by declaring:
- NTA – Not The A**hole
- YTA – You're The A**hole
- NAH – No A**holes Here
- ESH – Everyone Sucks Here
The Reddit community unanimously agreed that the OP was not the a**hole for refusing to name her daughter "Stuarta".
Everyone agreed that the OP's husband was being selfish, as he wasn't thinking of the child or his wife regarding the name, merely himself. Many emphasized that, regardless of the name, the name of a child needed to be a mutual, unanimous decision, and others wondered why, knowing the child was a girl, she couldn't be named after the OP.
"NTA."
"For the sake of your daughter, stand your ground on this one."
"Also... this is a rather narcissistic mindset for naming your kid."- drunkolive99
"Maybe a girl should be named after you?"
"He gets Stuart Jr, and you get a name that honors you for a girl, and that isn't Stuart."
"Seems fair and saves a daughter a lifetime of having a dumb name."- allsilentqs
"NTA."
"Tell him he only gets one kid named after him, so if he goes with Stuarta now, he'll never get a Stuart Jnr."
"And how come it's so important that he be honored but not you?"
"See how he feels about naming a future son a male version of your name."
"Remind him that baby names need a yes from both parents, or it's a no."
"You both need to be able to live with whatever you go with."
"Even if that means both of you missing out on the one you want most."- princess_ferocious
"'Hey I've got a good idea'."
"'Stuart...a'."
"NTA."
"I'm speechless."
"That's absurd."
"Normally I'm all for compromises in a relationship, but dear God no."
"Don't budge."
"You can't subject your daughter to that."- Betelgeuse8188
"NTA."
"This isn't a Will and Jada situation where you can name your kids Willow and Jaden to reference yourselves because those names existed before their parents used them."
"Stuarta isn't a thing."
"We do an unlimited amount of vetoes in our house for kid names."
"All of our kids have had names by the time we need one for the birth certificate."
"Y'all will get there."
"It is just really hard."- Itchy-Confusion-5767
"NTA."
"Stuarta sounds like a pharmaceutical product."
"I can hear the commercials now."
"'In some cases, Stuarta can cause headaches, rashes and even death'."
"It doesn't have a decent nickname."
"And no, adding an 'a' doesn't make it feminine in all cases; this is one of them."
"I'd go for Stuart as a middle name."- TemptingPenguin369
"So do you guys have absolutely zero female relatives who should be honored with a name?"
"No worthy females at all who this child could be named after if it's?"
"Stuarta?"
"Awful embarrassing will lead to bullying doesn't sound nice."- Ok_Imagination_1107
"Why does the name of your daughter have to honor him?"
"Narcissistic much?"
"Besides, the name is absurd and will set her up for bullying."
"It sounds like your husband really doesn't want to have a daughter."
"The name feels like a punishment for being a girl."
"NTA."- Thecatisright
"NTA!"
"There is a HUGE difference between wanting to honor family names in a new child and being SO F*CKING PIGHEADED AND SELFISH that you would saddle a child with a lifetime of ridicule just to get your name into theirs."
"Suggest that you husband just change his name to a (bonus points if it sounds nonsensical) masculine version of YOUR favored name for your baby."
"Because if he isn't willing to at least consider that then it's just his egotistical selfishness that is talking."- pandora840
"NTA."
"Naming a child is a two yes and one no situation."
"Means you need two times yes for a name to be it and one no to make sure that name is not the name you choose."
"Works both ways if you'd ask me."
"Also, I am not a fan of naming the first name of a child after a parent."
"Because then the child will always be compared to their parents and need to fight harder to be their own person."
"I have less problems with the middle name being connected to someone else (parents, grandparents) because that is only a formal name and not used in everyday business."
"Why is he dead set on Stuarta?"
"I mean, there are so many beautiful names, but he only wants to name his daughter after him?"
"Why not after the mother?"
"Like
"It is a bit misogynistic to only want to name the baby after the father."
"Whose last name will the baby get?"
"His as well?"
"Maybe you could find a way, like name the baby with the same first letter as your husband (Stella, Sally, Sanne, etc)."
"Make sure the baby has a middle name (if she shares the same last name as her father)."
"Because it will be annoying for simple things like mail and stuff."- Pollythepony1993
"NTA and just wow."
"Your husband is so fixated on this child's name having to be a honorary to him that he will subject your daughter to a life of misery?"
"I grew up with a sh*t name and I hated it, but it was definitely not as bad as Stuarta."
"Don't let him put it on the birth certificate without you."
"Why should he even be honored?"
"You are growing the child."
"His contribution is he came and didn't miss."- Tall-Negotiation6623
"I'm assuming your daughter will carry your husband's surname, so why does she have to have a first name to 'honor' him too?"
"What are you?"
"The incubator?"
"A surrogate?"
"You get a choice in this; in fact, you're carrying her. You get the first choice, and it's about time women started recognizing that and advocating for ourselves."
"However, I also agree with the rule '2 = yes, 1 = no'."
"Don't give in, for the reasons I stayed above and also because Stuarta is a really stupid name."
"NTA."- leftmysoulthere74
There are those who feel a commitment to carrying on the family name, which we can't hold against them.
What often goes unspoken, however, is that it's carrying on the father's family name that is considered important.
Seeing how the OP's husband seemed intent that his firstborn child, no matter the gender, needed to be named after him, it's safe to say this is a man bound and trapped by tradition.
It will most definitely be in his best interests to grow with the times a little bit.
For what it's worth, more and more females are named "Stuart", not "Stuarta", with each passing year.
















New Mom Irate After Father-In-Law Ruins Her Birthday With 'Vulgar' Comment About Her Breasts
There's nothing quite like the feeling of going through all the work to prepare a fun celebration, just for someone to undo it with an unkind or gross comment.
That feeling just gets worse when it's your birthday, and that comment was made by someone who's supposed to care about you, sympathized the members of the "Am I Overreacting?" (AIO) subReddit.
Redditor Rude-Pepper-2389 had recently given birth and decided to have a special birthday celebration to reconnect with her loved ones after becoming a mom.
When her father-in-law stopped by unexpectedly and then made comments about her body, the Original Poster (OP) was left so uncomfortable that it ruined the whole celebration for her.
She asked the sub:
The OP wanted to have a special birthday celebration after her baby was born.
"I currently have a five-month-old and haven’t really been taking care of myself or dressing up since having the baby."
"It’s my (25 Female) birthday, and we were having friends over at our house for a private dinner to celebrate."
"My husband (24 Male) and I have been together since we were 18."
"I decided to put on this new silk shirt I got, which, admittedly, was low-cut, but I felt cute in it and felt comfortable around the friends we were having over."
Everything was fine until the OP's father-in-law (FIL) stopped by unexpectedly.
"My husband's dad decided to stop by on his way home from work."
"I will say, he was likely drunk. He works two hours away and proudly told my husband he's down to only four beers on his drive home each day... so, that's healthy."
"When he came in, I was on the couch with my baby propped up beside me, bottle feeding him. Keep in mind, I am not breastfeeding, so no, my breasts are not any larger right now."
"My husband's dad leaned down to look at the baby and then suddenly shouted, 'D**n, son, she could knock you out with those things in bed! Like cracking two coconuts together.'"
"This was fully and undoubtedly in reference to my breasts."
The OP was shocked by the comment and very uncomfortable.
"It made me deeply uncomfortable and embarrassed."
"I was so stunned, I couldn’t even process what he said to me, and our friends just stared at me, blinking."
"He’s a redneck, so he's said some pretty vulgar stuff over the years, but this just seems to take the cake, as it was the first time it was directed at me."
"When he stepped out, I told my husband he needed to speak to him, and that the comment wasn’t okay."
"I went to change clothes and decided to never ever wear that shirt again."
"When I brought it up to my husband, he said he didn't hear the comment at first, but then he laughed when I told him what he said. He's always laughed when he feels awkward and has always had a hard time standing up to his parents in any capacity."
"When he and my father-in-law spoke, my FIL just said, 'I shouldn’t have said that to her, I know how she can be,' which just feels even more like I’m just being dramatic."
"Since then, I think my husband just wants me to drop it and move on, truthfully."
The OP wasn't sure what to do after what happened.
"This genuinely ruined my entire night. Am I just too sensitive, or was this an inappropriate thing to say?"
"There's also been no apology since then. This happened on Thursday, and then my father-in-law came by again on Friday with flowers to wish me a happy Mother's Day before Mother's Day Sunday."
"I think that was his way of trying to just breeze past the awkwardness. He's never gotten me a gift the whole seven years I've known him, so the flowers were odd. But I still feel really uncomfortable."
Fellow Redditors weighed in:
Some reassured the OP that her father-in-law's comments were rude and just plain creepy.
"NOR at all. That was really rude of him. Anyone would be offended." - Bookbringer
"NOR. That’s firmly in the category of what should be an 'inside thought,' and we should learn what those are at a much younger age than this guy is."
"F**king h**l, this is an absolutely mental thing to say out loud, let alone to your daughter-in-law." - Electronic-Fennel828
"FIL is an AH. I love that you think his being a redneck excuses it, but d**n. Even rednecks should know better than to speak that way to their son's wife."
"What does your husband have to say? Does he understand how breath-takingly rude his father was, or is he Team 'That's Just How He Is'?"
"I'd go very low contact with the old perv. NOR, he put you in an uncomfortable position with his crude remark. Is he married? I'd tell the MIL. I'd tell the whole family. Yes, it's embarrassing, but he is the one who should be embarrassed. Don't accept his non-apology." - Top-Bit85
"Maybe I’m desensitized after having large breasts since I was 13 (I’m 28 now), but I let out a little snort based on how immature of a joke it was. I’d simply tell FIL, 'Yes, I know, my boobs are big,' and move on."
"That said, I would never make such a comment about another person's body. Just because I'm technically fine with it doesn't mean I assume anyone else is!"
"Not everyone is the same, and if OP felt uncomfortable, she’s NOR. Her body, her boundaries." - Both_Original2094
"I’m sorry. That’s upsetting. My father is like this with his father. Even if it’s very offensive comments, he’s uncomfortable and has problems confronting him. It sounds like your husband isn’t going to have a talk with him, which is hurtful."
"I would explain to your husband how uncomfortable the situation was for you and that it’s a serious matter, especially if it happens again. And if he still tries to brush it off, then I would tell him you no longer want your FIL coming to your home."
"It’s your life, too, and he’s not the one being hurt here, you are." - w_coastultraviolence
Others were specifically angry about the tactics the father-in-law used to try to get out of trouble.
"Seriously? Saying 'I know how she can be' is a classic way to blame the victim for having boundaries. It’s your birthday, not a Hooters convention. What a creep. If he can’t look at the baby without checking out your breast, he shouldn't be invited to the house." - Specific_Parsnip3264
"'I know how she can be' is so f**ked up. He's the one being a disgusting person. You need to shine up your husband's spine to properly call him out at the time next time, because there will be a next time." - dancepantz
"The bit that pisses me off the most is, 'I know how she can be,' which is his way of making it her problem that she doesn't like her FiL sexualising her in front of her friends." - Outside-Partait-8935
"The 'joke' comment is gross, but that follow-up comment is infuriating. NOR, OP. But this guy will be in your life for a while, so firmly & calmly shutting this stuff down is completely appropriate."
"I'd wear the d**n shirt again to the next family function and look him right in the eyes next time!" - RationalFish
"When we let things like this slide for others, it's not long before it ends up on our doorstep, and of course, nobody says anything because keeping the peace is the norm. It doesn't have to be getting into their face and yelling abuse back. Just a comment such as, 'Well, that's super tacky to say,' or asking them why they'd say that." - Kattnapped
"The OP said, 'He's said some pretty vulgar stuff over the years... but this is the first time it was directed to me.'"
"Normalise calling stuff out when they are talking about others, and they won't feel so comfortable saying it to you."
"It's a gross thing for him to say, but I guess him buying you flowers is his way of saying sorry."
"Sounds like you are in the situation of a lot of new mothers, where you suddenly realise this stuff matters because you want better influences for your child, and better support for yourself. NOR." - Jumpy-Jello-
Now, about that shirt...
"Please re-think your decision to never wear the cute shirt again, girl!! It's something that you liked very much because it made you feel good about yourself. Don't let some backwoods id**t ruin that for you."
"Wear that shirt till it's worn out and can't be worn anymore!! You should be able to feel good about yourself in whatever you like to wear."
"Your husband should have immediately checked his father, not waited until he was told to do so after his father left the room. In front of everyone there, your husband should have told his father not to ever speak about you or to you in that kind of manner, and if his father doesn't like it, he knows where the door is."
"Hubby should have called him out for his response as well. You did absolutely nothing wrong. You were not the problem; his dad was. This comes down to your husband needing to protect his wife, and he didn't do that." - Lynzo141982
"If he is a redneck, like you said, he won't outright apologize, but flowers are his way of saying sorry."
"I hope he won't say anything again, or else you can expect a nicely tended garden for at least a year."
"About your top, I hope you can wear it again. It takes a lot to feel cute, being a new mum."
"If not, get some fabric dye, dye the top a different color, and embroider a flower on it. This makes the top new, different, and every time you wear it, you can use the mantra ... I'm cute, I don't care what anyone says."
"You've got this!!" - No_Kangaroo_6637
Even if the father-in-law was joking and meant no harm, this is one of those situations where he needs to admit that his joke did not land well, he did cause harm, and he needs to apologize. Just because some people enjoy joking in that manner does not mean that everyone will be comfortable with it, and it's important to respect everyone's boundaries and zones of comfort.