Mom praised for kicking out sister-in-law over baby name demand

A mom has been cheered after she kicked out her brother and sister-in-law when they demanded she change her new baby’s name.

In a post on Reddit‘s AITAH (Am I The A****) subreddit, the new mom explained that she and her husband named their baby daughter Lena, to honor her late mother. But the decision sparked a heated family dispute when her brother and sister-in-law said they had “reserved” the name for their hypothetical future child.

“My older brother and his wife came over to meet the baby for the first time. As soon as they heard her name, my SIL’s face dropped. She said Lena was the name she had ‘always planned’ to use for her future daughter (they don’t have kids yet) and accused us of ‘stealing’ the name,” the mom wrote on Reddit under the handle kittyeden.

The tension escalated when the sister-in-law and brother demanded the name be changed, prompting the mom to ask them to leave her home. With thousands of upvotes and hundreds of comments, people overwhelmingly backed the mom for kicking the couple out.

One commenter said: “You can’t ‘call dibs’ on a name, especially when it’s to honor your mom. They need to chill.” While another said: “It’s your baby and a name with deep personal meaning. They were way out of line.”

“NTA no one owns a name. They may never have a child (not everyone who wants one does!) or if they do it could be a son,” said Redditor Ok-Independence5335.

“There are no “dibs” on names. That is not a thing. They’re free to name their daughter after your mom as well, if they like. But they do NOT get naming rights to any child but theirs. I hope you had pointy boots on when you kicked them out,” said RubyTx.

Natalie Costa, a parenting coach and founder of Power Thoughts, shared her perspective on the delicate nature of naming disputes.

She told Newsweek: “Choosing baby names is a very personal thing. Some parents may want to consult others, while others may prefer to keep it to themselves. What’s most important is deciding what feels right for the couple and their child.”

“Situations like this can make some family members feel left out or not important. However, it’s vital to remember that we can’t enforce our will upon others, and not everyone’s needs can be met,” Costa added.

Newsweek reached out to kittyeden via Reddit for comment. We weren’t able to verify the details of this case.