Woman Isn’t Jolly About Receiving a Christmas Card From Her Friend’s Baby and Posted a Rant on Reddit
Babies are truly adorable and are real bundles of joy. It’s hard to resist their charm, especially when you look into their eyes and see their smile. They look soft and cuddly — even their small gestures can instantly make you happy. Babies can be your instant stress reliever as well. That’s why many people love having babies at home — their presence can easily brighten the place, which is highly contagious. Parents also can’t help but show them off to their friends and family. Infants can immediately be the center of attention, and no one can certainly complain about that.
However endearing babies are, some people are immune to their charms. It doesn’t mean that they are mean, cold, or anything, but there are valid reasons that often involve their mental health. Moreover, having babies is an option for them and not a life goal. Sometimes this choice can be brought by trauma, a physical health condition, financial status, etc. Sometimes, people find it uncomfortable to be near an infant, and one of those people is TheMonsterKingTyphon. This Reddit user posted a complaint that divided the comment section into two opinions.
According to OP’s post, “Babies have always made me super uncomfortable. I don’t like looking at them, being in their presence, or really hearing about them. I used to have panic attacks if I had to be near a baby or toddler, even for a minute or two. If a baby or toddler touched me, I’d freak out and have to go wash off a few layers of skin.” She couldn’t determine why babies can trigger her panic attacks, and now she has built a tolerance for their presence. OP can be in the same room as a child, but they still make her feel uneasy.
However, OP’s friend Sally couldn’t stop herself from sharing things about her baby. Sally knows OP doesn’t like babies, but she always talks about the baby with her. TheMonsterKingTyphon tries being polite and happy for her — she replies to every random message Sally sends her to avoid offending her whenever she talks about the baby. OP was making a way to respect Sally’s actions even when they were not actually close friends. She’d reply with short compliments and immediately delete the photos, as OP’s still not alright with it.
Sally was unstoppable, as she planned to send her friends Christmas cards from her baby. OP wrote, “Recently, Sally posted in a group chat we’re both in asking for people’s addresses if they want to receive a Christmas card from her baby (that’s how she worded it). I figured if I didn’t fill out the document that would be an easy non-confrontational way to ensure I would not be receiving baby pictures in the mail.” The mother was indeed adamant about her goal because she sent a private message to OP to ask for her address. Although Christmas cards from her baby would be fantastic, in OP’s situation, Sally was crossing her boundaries.
Below TheMonsterKingTyphon’s Reddit post is a thread of mostly supportive opinions, but others still found her disrespectful. Those people pointed out that OP should’ve just accepted the Christmas card and then ignore it once it arrives. “Sally is being a little too obtuse about sharing her baby excitement, but this, literally and figuratively, is life. Sally could be lonely and struggling with the change of having a baby. Everyone has issues. It won’t harm you at all to be polite about mail,” ComputerCrafty4781 said. The comment was valid because OP’s actions might appear inconsiderate if she asks Sally to exclude her from her plans.
Others were quite understanding of OP’s condition, and instead of calling her out, they suggested going to a therapist. “I’m wondering if OP has been to therapy to figure out where this issue comes from. It’s pretty hard to avoid them entirely just existing,” PuzzleheadedBet8041 commented.
The boundary that OP has built for her mental health was crossed multiple times by Sally, which many Redditors have pointed out. “Sally’s personal issues are not an appropriate reason to violate OP’s well-established boundaries,” theresbeans wrote.
The discussion has been a hot topic on Reddit, accumulating 4.2k upvotes and 2.4k comments. Both opinions were valid, but the issue will only be solved if OP and Sally engage in honest and open-minded conversations. Looks like Sally needs to be reminded of boundaries she shouldn’t cross, and OP must know the root cause of her issues with babies. You might want to share your thoughts about the matter. There might be some views and opinions that have yet to be mentioned or given attention, which can help the situation.
