She Thinks The Baby Name Her Mother-In-Law Suggests Is Absurd. Is She Right?

One woman is looking for redemption after she shut down her mother-in-law’s name suggestion for her future baby.

Choosing a name for a baby can be a source of joy and excitement, but it can also be a contentious issue. This is the case for a 29-year-old woman, who we’ll call Riza, who is expecting a baby girl with her 32-year-old husband. The couple has been arguing with the husband’s mother over what to name the baby.

Riza had her heart set on naming the baby after a video game character from her favorite franchise, Final Fantasy. She explains, “The character’s name is Aerith. Years back I had severe mental health issues and this game helped me cope… Aerith was always my favorite character.”

However, the mother-in-law wanted to name the baby after her own mother, whose name was Shirley. She suggested the name Cheryl instead.

When Riza objected, the mother-in-law became upset.

During a recent visit to the mother-in-law’s house, the topic of baby names came up again. The mother-in-law insisted that the baby would be named Cheryl, but Riza stood her ground and mentioned Aerith again.

The mother-in-law responded by saying that the name sounded like something you would call a dog.

That’s when things got heated. Riza said, “The name she chose was hideous at best.” This led to an accusation of disrespecting her mother-in-law’s memory and a name-calling exchange.

Riza’s own background may have played a role in the conflict. She explains, “Growing up, my husband and his family weren’t well financially and they were poor. Well, as my parents were rich, I had a really good life growing up. My mother-in-law would always harass me about this and would also make jokes about my religion (I am Muslim).”

The conflict over the baby’s name highlights how even a seemingly small decision can bring up deep-seated issues and long-standing tensions within families. It remains to be seen what name the couple will ultimately choose, but hopefully, they will find a way to resolve the issue without further damage to their relationships.

Others Weigh In

While the couple’s dilemma over the baby name is understandable, some commenters on the situation have expressed their opinions on the matter.

One commenter pointed out, “It’s possible to disagree without descending to insults. But on another note, please don’t name your daughter Aerith. Unusual names are all very well and good, but she’s going to spend her whole life spelling her name when people hear it and having it mispronounced when people see it.”

Another commenter weighed in on the mother-in-law’s involvement, saying, “MIL needs to mind her business; she doesn’t get a say.” However, they also expressed concern over the choice of name, stating, “You like a game, cool. Don’t doom your kid with a name that they’re going to have to repeatedly spell out for the rest of their life.”

Meanwhile, another commenter advised against discussing the baby’s name altogether, stating, “The one thing you should never do is discuss your baby’s name because everyone will have an opinion…Just wait until it’s born, and then everyone will be happy and no one will say anything about the baby’s name because…well, the deed is done.”

As for the couple’s differing backgrounds, one commenter questioned its relevance, stating, “I have no idea what your and your husband’s relative economic backgrounds have to do with any of this.”

Ultimately, the decision of what to name their child falls to the couple. As one commenter stated, “You don’t get to pick your child‘s name unilaterally. Your MIL certainly doesn’t get to pick…Then the two of you can choose a name for your (plural) daughter together.”

Was Riza wrong for shutting down her mother-in-law’s suggestion?

This article has been inspired by Reddit and does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Arnie Nicola