What happens when your parents’ joy for a child you’re not leaves you feeling like an afterthought?
That’s the reality for this 16-year-old boy who unearthed a viral video from his parents’ past.
The video celebrated the daughter they always wanted, leaving him painfully aware of the son they didn’t.
But when he showed the clip to his boyfriend’s family, things took an emotional turn, and now his parents are furious.
Check it out.
I’ll (16M) try to keep this brief(ish).
4 years ago my parents found out they were expecting a girl.
Even though stuff was all closed and we were meant to stay home, they threw a huge gender reveal because they had always wanted a girl.
They wanted to celebrate the fact they were getting a girl with everyone they knew.
My parents took video of their reaction and one they posted to their socials at the time.
It was of them screaming and crying and cheering that they had their dream come true, getting the child they always dreamed of, the daughter they had always wanted and how they couldn’t wait to be parents.
The video got taken down after mom’s sister told her she had no idea how lucky she was to have a healthy child and went no contact with my parents.
(she and her husband had fertility trouble and couldn’t have kids).
Nothing says ‘We always wanted a daughter’ quite like a viral video that screams, ‘Oops, sorry firstborn!’
But I knew from a really early age I disappointed my parents by being a boy.
Looking at photos and videos of them before me vs after me, you can see the joy fade.
They were told I was a girl. Had clothes, a nursery and everything set up for a girl.
They even had a name picked out for girl me.
Then I was born a boy.
The only “family photos” of us I have is from the first couple of weeks of my life.
They never bothered to take any with me afterward.
There are photos of us with extended family but like just me and them over the 12 years of my life?
Nah.
Guess the family photo album is titled ‘When We Still Had Hope.’
And even now they have so many taken with the girl of their dreams they finally had but I’m not in any of them.
I also found out through extended family that another family member named me because they didn’t want to think of boys names they were so disappointed.
I basically live with them as a distant roommate.
We don’t eat together or do anything together.
Mostly that works for me.
My boyfriend (16) was my best friend before we started going out and his family were always more like my family.
I was at his grandparents house to celebrate their wedding anniversary with the family and talk of my parents came up.
Everyone kinda knows how crappy they are but not really.
At least the boyfriend’s family knows how to family.
So I told them about the video and some of my boyfriends family were struggling to believe they’d post it.
I showed them a screenshot I had of the video on my mom’s account and then showed the video.
They were really upset by the reaction.
Everyone said it was like they were first time parents and his grandma got kinda teary thinking of me being there at the time watching it.
My parents found out because my boyfriends mom basically told my mom how awful she was.
My parents said I had no business showing anyone and wanted to know why I even had it.
I told them I keep it in case I need to remember how they really feel about me.
AITA?
This family drama comes in shades of pink and blue, with a hefty side of emotional neglect.
Reddit was quick to rally behind the poster, applauding his bravery for exposing his parents’ hurtful behavior and finding solace in his boyfriend’s supportive family.
This person feels super badly for him.
This person can’t even imagine.
And this person says it’s definitely on the parents.
When your gender reveal screams, “We’re disappointed!”—don’t be surprised when it comes back to haunt you.
These people are the worst sort.
If you liked this post, you might want to read this story about a teacher who taught the school’s administration a lesson after they made a sick kid take a final exam.
