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I Didn't Think It Was Possible To Make A Classy Attack Ad. I Was Wrong.
Unnecessary dramatic violin music notwithstanding, this raises some pretty good points.
06.11.12
@sportsdrmorgan/TikTok
Couple takes their daughter on a "only child moon"
“You’ve heard of a babymoon,” Lara Morgan Lee’s onscreen text reads. “But we took an ‘Only Child’ moon — a long weekend away for our 2.5-year-old before she becomes a big sister to twins!”
The long weekend trip consisted of a jaunt to New York City, where the family enjoyed Central Park, coffee shops and fine dining—which seemed to include yummy pizza and ice cream.
@sportsdrmorgan 10/10 highly recommend #babymoon #pregnanttiktok #twinpregnancy #pregnancyexercise #firsttrimester #secondtrimester #pregnantover40 #advancedmaternalage ♬ Do You Believe in Magic - The Lovin' Spoonful
“She got some adventure time with mom and dad, and we got time to enjoy her before the chaos ensues. One more special memory we made.”
The clip is just shy of thirty seconds, but speaks volumes. Several parents chimed in to say how thoughtful it was to make their daughter feel special.
“Pregnant with my second and sobbing right now, this is so sweet,” one person wrote.
Another added, “that’s such a great idea! I'll try to remember for when I get pregnant again!”
Many even had their own “only child moon stories.” One recalled “taking our 5-year-old on vacation before she had siblings was the best decision since we can’t travel as far now.” While another shared “we did the same! bowling, arcade, and hotel stay to swim. So many great memories for our little fam before baby #2 came!”
One parent even noted that an “only child moon” didn’t have to be expensive, saying they planned to have a special “movie night and Christmas lights weekend right before the baby comes.”
The thought of now sharing mom and dad with a new sibling can stir up different feelings for kids. Some may be instantly on board and excited to welcome in a baby brother or sister. For others, it can be a confusing and scary time.
Sad child sitting on the ground
Canva
There are, however, lots of ways to make the moment a positive one, primarily by involving them as much as possible and doing small things to reassure them that they are still loved. Which is what makes this “only child moon” such a good one—it covers both bases.
These days, parents are finding all kinds of creative ways to give their kiddos the healthiest, happiest childhood possible. Not only that, they’re establishing new behaviors that also promote their own wellbeing. Of course this isn’t the case for everyone, but more and more people are reclaiming the concept of family as a gentle, nourishing, and completely customizable support system for the entire tribe, and it’s beautiful to see. Here’s to more of that.
The grandmother was suspicious.
Lindsay wouldn’t give up her quest. She approached her biology teacher, who admitted that it was “odd” for her to have such different traits. This confusion was too much for Lindsay, so she went to her grandmother for help. “She came to me distressed, asking me to buy a DNA test since she needs to know,” the grandmother wrote.
She had blonde, curly hair. But her siblings all had black hair.
The grandmother purchased a DNA test and it proved their suspicions. “Long story short, she is not her mother's kid,” the grandmother wrote. “My son got someone else pregnant and her bio mom gave her up.”
The interesting thing was that Lindsay was a middle child. So, the dad had a baby with another woman while he was with his wife. This revelation begs the question: How did the family suddenly have a baby out of nowhere without people being suspicious?
“They were on the other side of the country when she was born, and I met Lindsey when she was about 6 months old. Really not hard to hide the whole thing,” the grandmother wrote. “Our family has a history of miscarriages, so it’s common to drop news about a baby late in the pregnancy. They did the same with their oldest and didn't think anything about it.”
The big revelation has caused friction in the family. The family no longer talks to the grandmother, which makes Lindsay even more furious about the situation.
Should the grandmother have taken such drastic steps if she knew what could happen if her suspicions were true? The commenters on Reddit overwhelmingly supported the grandmother’s decision. The big reason was that Lindsay needed to know her family history for medical reasons.
"Your son and his wife suck for lying to her until she is 15 about something so important and trying to keep lying to her even after she obviously started to question things. There are medical reasons a person might need to know what their genetics are/are not, and if you hadn’t helped her, she would have found out some other way," Shake_Speare423 wrote.
Another commenter noted that protecting the parents’ lie wasn’t nearly as important as Lindsay’s mental health.
"People have a right to know their genetic heritage. Lying about adoption is linked to increased suicidal ideation, anxiety, and depression. You put her safety and comfort ahead of your son’s preferences. Parental rights do not have greater value than a child’s right to access comprehensive medical care, and hiding an adoption does precisely that. Maybe some things, like a child staying healthy, should matter more than a parent's right to lie, gaslight and manipulate their child as they see fit," RemembrancerLirael added.
The commenters overwhelmingly supported the grandma for putting herself into an uncomfortable situation to protect her granddaughter’s mental and physical health. However, one commenter noted that she could have gone about it in a less polarizing way.
“Bit out of the norm for the responses here, but you should have gone through your son [and daughter-in-law] and convinced them. Told them that the biology teacher had highlighted that she had traits that didn't make sense, etc. and convinced them that Lindsey would find out either way,” PhilMcGraw wrote. “It would have allowed them to find a way to tell her without it being forced on them angrily. A DNA test is the absolute worst way to be told. I'm sure they would have much rather told her than let her find out by a DNA test if that is what was coming.”