Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app
Continue in app Continue in browser

The Bored Panda iOS app is live! Fight boredom with iPhones and iPads here.

Husband’s Definition Of A Mom Is Someone Who Gave Birth, Refuses To Get Wife A Mother’s Day Gift
Pregnant woman in a green shirt holding her belly, highlighting the topic of mom and Mother's Day gift refusal.
94

Husband’s Definition Of A Mom Is Someone Who Gave Birth, Refuses To Get Wife A Mother’s Day Gift

11

ADVERTISEMENT

Expectations can shift quickly during pregnancy, not just about parenting, but also about partnership, appreciation, and all the little ways people support each other.

Reddit user UTVols1557 found himself in hot water after telling his pregnant wife she didn’t “qualify” for a Mother’s Day gift because their baby hadn’t been born yet.

After an argument that led nowhere, he asked the internet what they thought about his firm stance and the reasoning behind it, and oh boy, did it provoke a wide array of opinions.

RELATED:

    For many couples, milestones like Mother’s Day take on new meaning when a baby is on the way

    Image credits: Courtney Walker / flickr (not the actual photo)

    But not everyone agrees on when those celebrations should begin

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits: UTVols1557

    Image credits: Getty Images / pexels (not the actual photo)

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Parents need each other — otherwise, they’re lonely

    When a couple starts expecting their first child, they get to know each other in a way they never have before, and depending on what happens next, their bond can become even stronger or deteriorate.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    The man behind the post may not have had any bad intentions. “Because pregnancy, labor and birth are such intense physical processes I think it can feel a bit abstract for partners, and it can be harder to feel as engaged,” says Meema Spadola, PCD, CLC, a certified postpartum doula and lactation counselor in New York City.

    “If couples haven’t been thinking and talking about how they want to navigate this period, it can be easy to default to roles that can leave partners feeling a bit less connected.”

    That being said, he really needs to listen and create a space for his wife to open up and be able to share her needs in a vulnerable way. Otherwise, they might drift apart.

    A 2024 national survey conducted by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center found that a broad majority of American parents experience isolation, loneliness, and burnout.

    Image credits: Riccardo Battist / flickr (not the actual photo)

    ADVERTISEMENT

    The survey demonstrated that:

    • About two-thirds (66%) feel the demands of parenthood sometimes or frequently felt isolating and lonely;
    • About 62% feel burned out by their responsibilities as a parent;
    • Nearly 2 in 5 (38%) feel they have no one to support them in their parenting role;
    • Nearly 4 in 5 (79%) would value a way to connect with other parents outside of work and home.

    Parents need each other to survive and thrive.

    As people shared their take on the conflict, the man initially tried to defend his stance

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Some people thought he did nothing wrong

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    But in the end, the husband changed his mind

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits: UTVols1557

    Poll Question

    Total votes ·

    Thanks! Check out the results:

    Total votes ·
    Share on Facebook

    Explore more of these tags

    Rokas Laurinavičius

    Rokas Laurinavičius

    Writer, Senior Writer

    Read more »

    Rokas is a writer at Bored Panda with a BA in Communication. After working for a sculptor, he fell in love with visual storytelling and enjoys covering everything from TV shows (any Sopranos fans out there?) to photography. Throughout his years in Bored Panda, over 300 million people have read the posts he's written, which is probably more than he could count to.

    Read less »
    Rokas Laurinavičius

    Rokas Laurinavičius

    Writer, Senior Writer

    Rokas is a writer at Bored Panda with a BA in Communication. After working for a sculptor, he fell in love with visual storytelling and enjoys covering everything from TV shows (any Sopranos fans out there?) to photography. Throughout his years in Bored Panda, over 300 million people have read the posts he's written, which is probably more than he could count to.

    What do you think ?
    Marianne
    Community Member
    10 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Just a comment: Here in Germany, it is considered bad luck to celebreate an event before it has actually happened, because you are basically challenging your odds of the event never happening in the end. That means, we don't wish an early happy birthday, because it suggests that the person will die before their actual birthday. When I was pregnant on mother's day, I made it clear that I didn't want a present, because it gave me the bad feeling that I might not give birth to a healthy child in the end.

    Raya
    Community Member
    10 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The term “expecting mothers” exist.

    FreeTheUnicorn
    Community Member
    10 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What awful entitled people. I hope having a kid shakes the sense into them, but more likely they'll just produce awful spawn. People who "stick to their principles" about getting or giving gifts, are insufferable. This poor kid.

    Load More Comments
    Marianne
    Community Member
    10 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Just a comment: Here in Germany, it is considered bad luck to celebreate an event before it has actually happened, because you are basically challenging your odds of the event never happening in the end. That means, we don't wish an early happy birthday, because it suggests that the person will die before their actual birthday. When I was pregnant on mother's day, I made it clear that I didn't want a present, because it gave me the bad feeling that I might not give birth to a healthy child in the end.

    Raya
    Community Member
    10 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The term “expecting mothers” exist.

    FreeTheUnicorn
    Community Member
    10 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What awful entitled people. I hope having a kid shakes the sense into them, but more likely they'll just produce awful spawn. People who "stick to their principles" about getting or giving gifts, are insufferable. This poor kid.

    Load More Comments
    You May Like
    Related on Bored Panda
    Popular on Bored Panda
    Trending on Bored Panda
    Also on Bored Panda
    ADVERTISEMENT