The expectant mum wanted to give her firstborn son the name Gaylord, which has been a tradition for firstborn boys on her side of the family since the 1800s and, initially, her husband agreed to the name, she claimed.
But since her husband’s family caught wind of the name, she’s been slammed for her choice of name, with her husband’s side of the family screeching it’s “child abuse”.
Now her husband has gone back on his agreement, just months away from welcoming their baby boy, leaving her “crushed because this is so important to [her] entire family”.
She admitted: “I’m well aware it’s a stigmatised name today, so that’s why I have agreed to using a short form.” Explaining further she revealed: “The name is Gaylord. I get it, trust me, I know most people hate it.
“That is why I’ve been able to discuss with my parents and grandparents that he will go by Gail in daily life so that he doesn’t have to deal with bullies.”
Despite initial resistance, her family has now accepted this compromise, reports The Mirror. “They see the backlash over the name today as a fad that will eventually disappear,” she said.
“And I agree, seeing how accepting each generation tends to become. When society stops being so immature about it, he can start using the full name.”
She told her husband that their son would be named Gaylord on the birth certificate but go by Gail. However, he stated he thought she was joking the whole time and had never agreed to either name.
She wondered why he thought she was joking when he has met her father and grandfather, both called Gaylord. This has now caused tension between them as he won’t consider it as an option.
“My in-laws are telling me that even Gail isn’t an acceptable boy’s name, and that I need to ‘get with the times’ and choose something more appropriate,” she added.
“They gave me a list of approved names like I’m a child, which is incredibly offensive to me. They have no right to name my own baby for me.
“I don’t think my husband would have such an issue if it wasn’t for his family interfering, since he didn’t have a problem with it a year ago. What happened to respecting our elders and traditions?”
She added: “His family doesn’t have any naming traditions, so it should fall to my family that does. How could I be expected to break a centuries old family tradition? I can’t get past this, and neither can my in-laws.”
One person on Reddit advised: “I work with elementary age children and this is a terrible idea. I’m sorry, but no. Definitely do not name your child Gaylord in any form or fashion.”
Another commented: “Some traditions reach the point where they are no longer suitable for modern times. This is 100 percent that time. Pick another name.”
Someone else suggested: “You both are letting family into a decision that is really between you and your husband. I think you should talk this out with your husband, and leave both sets of in-laws out of the discussion.”
They added: “You should both have an equal say in naming your child, and don’t be dismissive of one another.”
