To think this is an odd birthday request off DD?

[etonclean]

DD's birthday is in 2 weeks, she has asked for one of those DNA tests. She will be 19. Just in case someone asks I'd like to clarify it's not a "who's the daddy" test. You spit in a cup, send it off to the lab and then they get back to you telling you which areas of the world your ancestors are from and what diseases you have a genetic predisposition to.

I've said I'll get her one but I think it's a bit odd. There's no family secrets, me and DH are both definitely her biological parents (!) and both families are very healthy. We also both have family tracing back to Ireland.

AIBU in worrying she thinks there is some secret we are keeping from her about who she is? Or am I just being paranoid? She usually asks for makeup. DH got upset when I told him what she had asked for as he thought she must think he's not her dad, managed to reassure him though.

I asked for one for my 21st... my parents were suspicious too but i was genuinely just really really interested. Its so fascinating to see all the things that are affected by DNA... even down to the fact im more likely to be a coffee drinker and hate coriander came up

Some people do get more than they bargained for - www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/554262/inheritance-by-dani-shapiro/

I also remember reading something about someone whose parents were who the person thought they were, but their test confirmed that someone else in the family couldn't be related in the way they thought, can't remember where I've read it now. I think there is going to be more of this as more people are tested.

Yabu. It's just a bit of fun.

I got one of these for my dad. There are options on the website as to what you release the genetic information for. You can choose to release it for some reasons and not others. He's in his nineties, doesn't really care, but we didn't give consent for anything.

Dd wants one, Dh is against it. I told her when she's 18 she can have one and do as she pleases. But she is adopted and we have very little knowledge of her genetic make up apart from some German So we will see when she gets to 18. I'm fascinated. She watched the ads last Christmas.

DD (24) text me the other week to say she was getting one and was there anything she should know, before she did. I replied, 'well, it's not the sort of thing that should be said in a text, but I'm sorry, your father, really is your father - sorry!'

I’d be cautious. If it comes back with likelihood of certain diseases it could make insurance sky high/not possible.

I had one done, it’s really quite interesting so see where my DNA has come from. Don’t really care what companies do with the information, they are hardly going to clone me. Maybe it’ll be useful to somebody though.

maureen

your father is still your father
She may have been hoping for a secret millionaire father!! You dashed her hopes.

Its absolutely bizarre thay you think that she doesnt trust you. If you live your life with this amount of paranoia you sound hard work

YABU

Ancestry tests are really common and quite interesting to look at as it can show a very in depth historical line of relatives! It’s not to try and out one of you as their relative it’s just to see if they have any really interesting history in their ancestry!

Yeah, that goes for both of us! Thankfully she's team mum, not team dad. He's been a shit the last year and put us both through hell, but we are hopefully coming out the other side now. It's all good.

Laughter is the way forward.

I wouldnt buy it for the reason of why would you willing give your DNA to a company to harvest

^ This

I have had one done.

I have no suspicions over my family background. There are no secrets rumoured in the family. I totally trust my parents. Thats never even crossed my mind! Nor theirs fortunately.

I was interested. I am interested in researching my family tree, and as part of that I was interested in finding out more about my background and seeing if the findings tallied with my ancestry research.

There's been a few programs on TV with these involved recently such as the new Ant and Dec ancestry programme. Maybe she is interested after watching something like this.

TBH a dna test like this wouldn't tell her who her parents are anyway.

I fancy one of these but Im not sure if it would open up a can of worms. My dad wasn’t always v well behaved & it wouldn’t surprise me to find some siblings both locally & in other countries. Although I’d be okay with that my mum would not cope at all even though they divorced years ago. I think it’s a great idea. I have read that you have to pay a monthly fee though or pay more to access certain info. I’m not sure how true that is though.

YABU. They ate quite the vogue thing at the moment.

I also think it’s strange that you immediately jump to anterior reasons for her wanting to do one.

*ulterior not anterior

My DD also requested one for her birthday-also 19th!

She loved it-has been in touch with a few cousins on DH side of the family-it was nothing but positive for her.

The medical testing is a whole other issue...

TBH a dna test like this wouldn't tell her who her parents are anyway.

With some they link you with other people who share your DNA, which is where the surprises come.

Not weird at all! I would love one just to see if I have any ancestry that's not pasty white Scottish because that's all I know of I doubt she thinks there are any skeletons in the closet. She'll just be curious about her ancestry and this is a good way to find out.

That's only if others have done the dna tests though - and it doesn't sound like the OP and her partner, or closer family have done so, seeing as they are quite vague on what they are and why they are being done by people these days.

So, the only links are likely to be 3rd or 4th cousins, and those links will be much more vague. Unless OP and her partner do know something which they prefer to keep hidden of course, and thats why they dont want them done!

Police has traced criminals using these data bases, so you need to be sure you’re n out dropping a family member in it!!

I thought the majority of them were proven to be a load of rubbish? 15 year old DS would love to do it but they're also not supposed to be done on u18s unless that's changed since I last looked

Police has traced criminals using these data bases, so you need to be sure you’re n out dropping a family member in it!!

I read that recently. They have solved many cases now using DNA databases - not just police databases but the ones people voluntarily contribute to. It's a good thing.

As a gift though, I'd be worried it would show up some genetic disposition to an illness and cause worry.