The Internet supports a teenager’s veto of her stepmother’s favorite name – ‘I hated it’

A teenager has received support online after sharing in a social media post that she had asked her grandparents to convince her father not to give his newborn the same name as her.

The 16-year-old, who revealed her name is Serenity, shared in the Reddit post that her father had shown little interest in her since she was born and that the two had become virtually estranged.

“My parents were young when they had me. My mother didn’t have a family of her own, and when she and my father first became close, when she was about 12, my father’s family became her family too. My parents were together throughout high school “And they had me right after I graduated. My mother died in her sleep when I was only 6 months old. She was 19,” the woman opened online.

“My father was never interested in me and he and my grandparents fought a lot from the time I was born until my mother died. They were disgusted by his lack of love or care for me. They wanted him to be a better father than he was, apparently pointing out that my mother was the same age as him and had moved up. But he wasn’t interested.”

“I actually never saw him when I was little. A few years ago I saw him from a distance for the first time. He had a woman with him. They married later. Now they’re having a little girl and…”My aunt’s wife said they wanted to name their baby Serenity, that’s my name,” she added.

The teenager went on to reveal: “When I heard about it, I hated it” and that she decided to ask her grandparents to convince her father to do something different.

“They spoke to him but he said he wanted his wife to be happy. I think my grandparents also hated the idea that he was sending a clear message that he never loved me by simply using the name for the child he wanted to raise.” “My father eventually gave in,” the Redditor explained .

“His wife was shitty and she blamed me even though he said it was my grandparents who intervened,” she added.

Expert verdict: The teenager was right to speak out

Kelsey Latimer is a licensed clinical psychologist and business owner of KML Psychological Services. Latimer told Newsweek that the teen did the right thing by talking to a trusted adult about how he was feeling and that his thoughts and feelings were completely valid.

“I am deeply sorry that the teenager experienced several serious traumas in her young life. Despite this, she seems to be resilient and still open to relationships with others. This is truly amazing and something to be proud of. It also seems.” “That her grandparents always had her best interests at heart and I can tell she feels like they love her very much,” Latimer said Newsweek.

“It seems to me that they will do anything for her that they believe is in her best interest and that she will always remain their priority. I’m so glad she has this because every child deserves to feel loved and completely accepted. It seems so. “There is a sense of loss and abandonment here that must be extremely disturbing.”

teenage girl
A stock image of a teenage girl looking sad in bed. A 16-year-old has spoken out against her estranged father’s decision to name the baby he is expecting with his new wife Serenity, the teenager’s name.
Getty Images

“I want all children to remember a few things. You always have the right to feel what you feel, and you don’t have to apologize for those feelings. “You are also not responsible for the feelings of others around you, especially adults. They have power over you – children are not responsible for the feelings of adults,” she added.

“The other person may not be happy and that is not your responsibility; Your responsibility is to yourself and your mental health,” Latimer explained.

What do the comments say?

Since being shared on the social media platform by u/VegetableShine8843 on September 2, the Reddit post has been upvoted by 96 percent of users who have engaged with it and commented on it more than 500 times.

“You should be extremely happy that your real parents had the foresight to see your bio dad as a complete asshole,” one user wrote, receiving over 10,000 upvotes.

“What a selfish idiot. Please don’t take to heart what his second wife says. It had nothing to do with you, but it always had nothing to do with him. I hope you do okay,” they added.

Another user shared: “I wonder what went wrong with the father. The grandparents and the rest of the family sound great.”

The Reddit post can be seen here.

If you have a family dilemma, let us know at life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice and your story could be featured on Newsweek.

Rick Schindler

Rick Schindler is a Worldtimetodays U.S. News Reporter based in Canada. His focus is on U.S. politics and the environment. He has covered climate change extensively, as well as healthcare and crime. Rick Schindler joined Worldtimetodays in 2023 from the Daily Express and previously worked for Chemist and Druggist and the Jewish Chronicle. He is a graduate of Cambridge University. Languages: English. You can get in touch with me by emailing: RickSchindler@worldtimetodays.com.

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