A mum has revealed how a friend texted to ask if she could name her child after hers. The woman, who took to Mumsnet to share her frustration, said that over the years this friend had copied her choice of watch and engagement ring among other things, but she was shocked when the pal asked if she could pick the name of one of her children to use for her baby.
In the post, the woman was asking for advice on how to respond politely to the friend to tell her that she wasn't happy at the prospect. She said she had been told by others over the years that this woman was "completely besotted with me and borderline obsessed".
She said that when she announced her child's name, the friend in question had noted that they thought the name was odd and said that they were not a fan of it and even made fun of it. But now the friend is pregnant, she had messaged the woman to ask if she would mind if she gave her child the same name. However, the woman posted: "I want to say, I think it’s too much and they should probably find another name that’s their name, but I’m not sure how to phrase it." You can get more stories like this by subscribing to our newsletters here.
In the comments one person said: "Distance yourself. Remove them from your socials and your life. A bit too toxic for my liking!" Another added: "Reply with: 'Thank you for asking - actually, I do mind if you choose the same name as my child. There are so many lovely names out there - I know you will choose a great one that’s just right for your child.'"
Someone else posted: "This is one of those things people always say but it’s the context. Obviously, if an acquaintance at work chose the name Thomas and my son is Thomas, it would be: ‘Haha I have a Thomas too! We’ll have big Tommy and little Tommy how cute!' But if that same person had copied my jewellery, sneered at my child’s name, and was ‘obsessed’ with me to the point that third parties had noticed and remarked on it then it would have quite a different context and feel much more intrusive/upsetting.
"Yap. It's creepy. I would say I'm not really comfortable with it, you didn't even like the name when I thought of it, and you should find another name that you've put time and effort into choosing. When she inevitably uses the name anyway I would use it as an excuse to distance myself. Perhaps I am a selfish person but I could never invest so much time in such a creepy, stalkerish relationship."
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