Naming your newborn can sometimes cause issues between you and a partner - especially if they're wanting a completely different vibe name from you. Choosing a baby name is such a personal thing, and often, parents-to-be will have the name of a much-loved relative in mind - either somebody that has passed away or someone that means a lot to them.
But one woman was left baffled when her husband said that he wanted to name their little girl something traditional - after his mum. However, the woman's mother-in-law has 'some extreme beliefs and opinions', so she took to Reddit's 'Am I the a**hole' forum to ask whether she was being unfair to not even consider the name.
She wrote: "So, me and my husband are expecting a little girl in a month, and we're both delighted! However, we've had some trouble when talking about what to name our child. We had a lot of trouble finding good names that we both like, so we've gotten help from my family and my in-laws.
"However I tried excluding my mother-in-law, who is named Linda. I wanted to exclude her because she is extremely Catholic, so she has some very extreme beliefs and opinions.
"She had harassed a friend of mine for her sexuality, and she didn't leave her house for days after. She has a pretty long history of pushing her beliefs onto the rest of us.
"I was talking to my family, and then the perfect name came up: Jaiden. I had also received a text from my husband, saying he was daydreaming at work when he found out the perfect name. I was happy we had both found potential names, and that hopefully, we would agree on one of them.
"We sat down on the couch, and I told him that I was thinking of naming the baby Jaiden. He immediately shot it down, so I asked what name he wanted for the baby. He told me he wanted to name the baby Linda after his mum.
"I was fuming internally, I tried reminding him about what his mum had done to my friend, and other members of the family.
"He responded with "She's Christian, it's just a part of her religion. You can't shame her for believing in God." I just wasn't having it. I'm currently eating leftover soup in the upstairs bedroom, as I need time to process this. However, I do feel like I am the a**hole because it is just her religious beliefs."
People backed the fact that she didn't want to call her daughter Linda, but also said it was important that both parents loved the name, encouraging the pair to rethink.
One wrote: "Both parents need to agree on a name. Fair if he doesn't want Jaiden. Also, fair you don't want Linda. So both are struck off the list. Now you need to find a name you both like."
"Jinda", someone joked.
"I mean you can't really get much worse than Jaiden", another wrote, judgementally, and someone who had an unusual stream of names on their list replied: "Braxtyn, Jaxxon, Braxleigh (all legit names I was suggested when I was pregnant. Ended up just going with Olivia", followed by a crying with laughter emoji. "People need to remember they are naming actual future adults and not cats."
Someone else commented: "Talk to your husband. Let him know that you both need to like the name, so Linda is off the table. You will never, ever call your child that. And stop involving the family in naming this kid, text them, and tell them you and your partner have decided to choose a name on your own, and you won't be announcing it until after the baby is born. Don't bring drama into your life."
What would you do in this situation? Let us know in the comments.
