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

Add post form topAdd Post
Tooltip close

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

Pregnant Woman ‘Spoils’ Gender Reveal Party For Guests After Stepmom Throws It Against Her Will
1.8K

Pregnant Woman ‘Spoils’ Gender Reveal Party For Guests After Stepmom Throws It Against Her Will

Pregnant Woman 'Spoils' Gender Reveal Party For Guests After Stepmom Throws It Against Her WillMom-To-Be Simply Walks Away From Gender Reveal Party Organized Against All Of Her WishesWannabe Stepmom Arranges Gender Reveal Party For Partner's Daughter, She Just Walks OutMom-To-Be Ruins Her Son's Gender Reveal Party After Stepmom Throws One Against Her WishesMom-To-Be Simply Walks Away From Gender Reveal Party Organized Against All Of Her WishesWoman Throws A Gender Reveal Party For Stepdaughter Against Her Wishes, Gets Mad After She LeavesExpecting Mom Leaves Gender Reveal Party Organized By Her Dad's Girlfriend Against Her WishesMom-To-Be “Spoils” Her Baby’s Gender Reveal Party After Stepmom Foolishly Organizes One Against Her WillPregnant Woman 'Spoils' Gender Reveal Party For Guests After Stepmom Throws It Against Her WillPregnant Woman 'Spoils' Gender Reveal Party For Guests After Stepmom Throws It Against Her Will
ADVERTISEMENT

In our cultural tradition, a whole system of small holidays and rituals has developed around newborns, which look very cute and interesting. For example, a baby shower or a gender reveal party.

But its actually true only in one case – if the main people in the baby’s life, their parents, do not object to throwing such parties. But sometimes relatives and friends consider themselves entitled to act contrary to the parents’ opinion. As it happened, for example, with the author of our story today.

More info: Reddit

RELATED:

    The author of the post is an expecting mom whose son is due in November

    Image credits: Luis Quintero (not the actual photo)

    However, the spouses decided not to throw any gender reveal party, and just told it to their parents

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits: u/ThrowawayGenReveal

    Image credits: RDNE Stock project (not the actual photo)

    The author’s father has a girlfriend of 3 years, who got incredibly upset over the mom-to-be’s unwillingness to have a party

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits: u/ThrowawayGenReveal

    Image credits: RDNE Stock project (not the actual photo)

    ADVERTISEMENT

    So, a few days later, this girlfriend tricked the author into a party with some friends and relatives as guests

    Image credits: u/ThrowawayGenReveal

    The mom-to-be revealed the baby’s gender straight in the doorway and left in anger, but the woman’s dad later called her out for being ‘disrespectful’ towards his partner

    So, please meet the Original Poster (OP), an expecting mom whose son is due this November. And so, when the author and her husband shared the good news with their parents and their partners, the mom-to-be’s dad and his girlfriend of 3 years were very upset that the spouses wouldn’t throw any gender reveal party.

    The thing is that the couple doesn’t care much about their baby’s gender, and they don’t want to make a lot of fuss about it. The original poster said more than once that she did not want any party on this occasion, and didn’t change her mind even after a lot of persuasion from her dad’s partner.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    However, a couple of days later, when the woman’s father was out of town, his partner invited the OP to their apartment – and when our heroine entered, she saw that the whole room was decorated with pink and blue balloons, and about a dozen joyful people had gathered around her.

    There was the girlfriend’s own mom (whom our heroine honestly doesn’t like at all), her MIL and several friends. The author’s mother, however, wasn’t there. And, as the woman later found out, the girlfriend lied to her friends that she had changed her mind about having a party.

    However, the party ended as suddenly as it began. Standing in the doorway, without even touching the cake, our heroine loudly announced: “It’s a boy! You guys can go home now.” And, turning around, without looking back, she walked away.

    A couple of hours later, she received a call from her angry dad, who, upon returning home, found his tear-stained girlfriend there, incredibly upset by the failure of her ‘brilliant’ idea. According to the man, his daughter could at least have cut the cake and pretended to enjoy the party – just out of respect for his partner’s efforts. But the author still was adamant in her opinion.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio (not the actual photo)

    “There are always people around us for whom only the fulfillment of their own desires is important – even contrary to the opinions of others,” says Irina Matveeva, a psychologist and certified NLP specialist, with whom Bored Panda got in touch for a comment over this situation. “And they skillfully (or not so skillfully) try to disguise the realization of their own desires as helping other people.”

    “Just judge for yourself – this woman was repeatedly told that there was no need to throw a party, but she wanted it so much that she even resorted to an outright lie towards her stepdaughter’s friends. It’s quite possible that she was sincerely confident that she knew what was better for the mom-to-be.”

    “And another telling touch to the overall picture is that she didn’t invite her boyfriend’s ex. Although, of course, if you approach organizing this kind of party, then the baby’s grandma should be present. And then, apparently, there was an attempt manipulating the woman’s father’s opinion in order to present herself as a victim in his eyes. Well, it looks very ugly,” Irina summarizes.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    In fact, the commenters on the original post also completely agree with our heroine’s reaction – simply because her dad’s girlfriend grossly violated all conceivable personal boundaries. “This smacks of her trying to ‘prove’ that she cares about you more than your mom, especially seeing how either your mom wasn’t invited or she turned down the invitation to respect your wishes,” one person wrote.

    To this, by the way, the author replied that she contacted her mom – and yes, she wasn’t invited at all. In any case, responders are purely outraged by the behavior of this woman. “Dad’s GF sounds like someone who enjoys bulldozing boundaries. Wait until she expects to be in the delivery room with you!” another commenter added wittily. However, we hope that it won’t come to that… And what do you, our dear readers, actually think here?

    Most of the commenters were sure that the dad’s girlfriend had violated the author’s personal boundaries and praised her for her response

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    Share on Facebook
    Oleg Tarasenko

    Oleg Tarasenko

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    After many years of working as sports journalist and trivia game author and host in Ukraine I joined Bored Panda as a content creator. I do love writing stories and I sincerely believe - there's no dull plots at all. Like a great Italian composer Joaquino Rossini once told: "Give me a police protocol - and I'll make an opera out of it!"

    Read less »
    Oleg Tarasenko

    Oleg Tarasenko

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    After many years of working as sports journalist and trivia game author and host in Ukraine I joined Bored Panda as a content creator. I do love writing stories and I sincerely believe - there's no dull plots at all. Like a great Italian composer Joaquino Rossini once told: "Give me a police protocol - and I'll make an opera out of it!"

    What do you think ?
    Add photo comments
    POST
    Fox with a Dragon Tattoo
    Community Member
    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Im so relieved to not see a bunch of YTAs.. this gender reveal stuff needs to end. Especially given the gaslighting and pressure for the mom to be to let herself be exploited for someone elses amusement.

    Zoe Vokes
    Community Member
    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It’s so stupid and people have died during them. The really stupid people use explosives or flammable powder to show the “gendered colour.”

    Load More Replies...
    Alexandra
    Community Member
    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Stop it right now. No 'sucking it up', 'keeping the peace' or 'for the sake of the family'. People who say that want you to lay down so they can trample all over you. You made it clear you didn't want a party. Girlfriend went ahead nonetheless. More fool her. She disrespected you and brought all this on herself. No doubt she has a hidden motive for what she did, but that is neither here nor there. You stand fast on this one. It's worth it.

    The Other Guest
    Community Member
    5 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Totally agree. The problem with telling the victim to "keep the peace" is that they aren't the one breaking it. Letting the perpetrator get away with things "for the sake of the family" only allows them to keep rocking the boat while everyone around them scrambles to steady it. (Edited for a bit more clarity)

    Load More Replies...
    San Nordic
    Community Member
    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    No one wants this plastic, trashy cringe event. Okey maybe one, but the rest don’t.

    The Other Guest
    Community Member
    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The problem in my not-so-humble opinion isn't the gender reveal itself. There's nothing wrong with having some close friends & family come over for a one-time announcement rather than having to call and tell them all separately, or sending a mass email. Have a little cake with pink or blue icing in the middle, some ice cream, some drinks, no problem. The issue is when people go over-the-top and do dangerous/foolish things such as pyrotechnics in a high-fire-risk area, add dye to a natural stream with no thought as to how it will affect the wildlife, projectiles that can injure someone, etc etc. Also the number of stories I've seen where someone gets angry or cries because the baby is the "wrong" gender? Yeah, if there's any chance of gender disappointment, don't have a frickin' gender reveal party, and don't post the video online. Keep that manure to yourself.

    Load More Replies...
    Load More Comments
    Fox with a Dragon Tattoo
    Community Member
    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Im so relieved to not see a bunch of YTAs.. this gender reveal stuff needs to end. Especially given the gaslighting and pressure for the mom to be to let herself be exploited for someone elses amusement.

    Zoe Vokes
    Community Member
    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It’s so stupid and people have died during them. The really stupid people use explosives or flammable powder to show the “gendered colour.”

    Load More Replies...
    Alexandra
    Community Member
    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Stop it right now. No 'sucking it up', 'keeping the peace' or 'for the sake of the family'. People who say that want you to lay down so they can trample all over you. You made it clear you didn't want a party. Girlfriend went ahead nonetheless. More fool her. She disrespected you and brought all this on herself. No doubt she has a hidden motive for what she did, but that is neither here nor there. You stand fast on this one. It's worth it.

    The Other Guest
    Community Member
    5 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Totally agree. The problem with telling the victim to "keep the peace" is that they aren't the one breaking it. Letting the perpetrator get away with things "for the sake of the family" only allows them to keep rocking the boat while everyone around them scrambles to steady it. (Edited for a bit more clarity)

    Load More Replies...
    San Nordic
    Community Member
    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    No one wants this plastic, trashy cringe event. Okey maybe one, but the rest don’t.

    The Other Guest
    Community Member
    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The problem in my not-so-humble opinion isn't the gender reveal itself. There's nothing wrong with having some close friends & family come over for a one-time announcement rather than having to call and tell them all separately, or sending a mass email. Have a little cake with pink or blue icing in the middle, some ice cream, some drinks, no problem. The issue is when people go over-the-top and do dangerous/foolish things such as pyrotechnics in a high-fire-risk area, add dye to a natural stream with no thought as to how it will affect the wildlife, projectiles that can injure someone, etc etc. Also the number of stories I've seen where someone gets angry or cries because the baby is the "wrong" gender? Yeah, if there's any chance of gender disappointment, don't have a frickin' gender reveal party, and don't post the video online. Keep that manure to yourself.

    Load More Replies...
    Load More Comments
    Related on Bored Panda
    Related on Bored Panda
    Trending on Bored Panda
    Also on Bored Panda