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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to feel hurt by my partner's sibling's comment about our baby?

137 replies

Alawishus39 · 29/08/2026 07:39

I feel really hurt by a comment made by my partners sibling at a recent family gathering. I’ve recently had a baby, less than 6 months ago and partners sibling has just had theirs, they are both our first babies. We met to meet the baby. They said the baby’s full name and one of the names i hadn’t ever heard so I asked “what does that name mean” and the sibling replied “better than your baby” but saying my baby’s name so for example “better than Charlie”. Not the name, as in the name meaning means their child is better than our child, or that’s how I’ve taken it. I was a little stunned and there was an awkward silence. I was expecting my partner to say something to the sibling but they didn’t. I made a half laugh and the conversation moved on. I just feel quite upset now and like there will be an instant rivalry between the two babies who are cousins growing up. Maybe it’s hormones, so I need to know if I am being unreasonable or what I can do to stop this from becoming a thing or if I’ve taken the comment wrongly and they did mean the name is better than our babies name.

OP posts:
likeitshard · 29/08/2026 07:56

It’s possible they don’t know the meaning and was put on the spot so gave a snippy response. I’d let it go but it was a bit of a shitty thing to say

Doowoddy · 29/08/2026 07:56

I really don't think it's because you asked the name meaning, people bloody love explaining their baby names and you're their family so it's fine.
Other posters are just saying that to try and make you look/feel bad on a Saturday morning, for reasons only they know.

redboxerclub · 29/08/2026 07:55

I think this is just a massive miscommunication and I’d forget it. I’d probably be a bit stung like you are but unless there is another thing just try to forget it

ChopSueyCharcuterieBoard · 29/08/2026 07:55

Alawishus39 · 29/08/2026 07:47

I was genuinely interested in the meaning, it isn’t an English name. Looking it up after it has a lovely meaning,there wasn’t any sniping.

It could be perceived that way.

You should have just done the obligatory "what a beautiful name" stuff and then looked it up later.

Doowoddy · 29/08/2026 07:52

They probably thought it was funny and then out loud it didn't sound funny and they regret it.
If they truly wanted a rivalry they wouldn't joke about it, it's just a bit of an obvious thing to kid about when two babies are close in age.

My baby was born at a similar time to a good friend's nephew, she would jokingly refer to my baby as the second best baby she knew - this was funny when said as the babies don't actually know each other, plus she's a funny person, but I could see how it can go wrong without being meant badly!

Lammveg · 29/08/2026 07:51

Its fairly exhausting to be asked about meanings of names just because theyre not English. We dont ask for the meaning of English names. I would assume they were irritated by your question even if you didnt mean it that way.

ItsStillWork · 29/08/2026 07:51

Are they normally up their own backside?

NeverHadHaveHas · 29/08/2026 07:49

If it’s not an English name and your response was ‘what’s the meaning’ I’d assume they were irritated about that so made a snarky comment in reply.

Alawishus39 · 29/08/2026 07:47

ChopSueyCharcuterieBoard · 29/08/2026 07:43

They probably took what you said as a snippy comment and made one back about your kids name. I would just forget about it.

I was genuinely interested in the meaning, it isn’t an English name. Looking it up after it has a lovely meaning,there wasn’t any sniping.

OP posts:
Tunaboona · 29/08/2026 07:45

You say "ah well we chose the name Charlie because it means 'superior to your baby and all your future children's"

ChopSueyCharcuterieBoard · 29/08/2026 07:43

They probably took what you said as a snippy comment and made one back about your kids name. I would just forget about it.

SlightlyTremulous · 29/08/2026 07:42

It was a joke! And of course they think their baby is better than your baby — it’s theirs!