A young mum has sparked a debate after taking her toddler to a child-free wedding when her babysitter bailed at the last minute.
The 19-year-old explained that she couldn’t secure a reliable sitter in time for her friend’s nuptials, so she asked the bride if her two-year-old could come along.
Fortunately, the bride sympathised with her situation and welcomed the little one as a guest. However, the decision didn’t sit well with the in-laws, who caused quite the stir over it. Sharing her story on Reddit, the mum said: “Last year, I was asked to be a bridesmaid in a family friend’s wedding.”
“I was thrilled and immediately said yes, even though it was a child-free event. I had arranged for a babysitter, but about a week before the wedding, she informed me that she would no longer be in the city and couldn’t watch my daughter.”
“Given the short notice, I approached the bride and asked if I could bring Amelia to the wedding, as I didn’t have time to find another trusted babysitter. My daughter is overall a very easygoing baby who’s comfortable with people and happy as long as she’s fed.”
“The bride knew this since she’d watched my daughter on multiple occasions before, and she happily agreed, saying that having Amelia there would make the wedding photos even more special.” After the ceremony, the 19-year-old noticed the groom’s parents glaring and gossiping about her from across the room.
She continued: “Amelia spent most of the day with my sisters, but during the reception, I took her to congratulate the newlyweds. As I approached with Amelia in my arms, the groom’s mother suddenly remarked, ‘You shouldn’t have brought a baby to a child-free wedding, especially when she doesn’t fit the family.’I was utterly shocked.
“To give some context, my daughter is mixed race – I’m half white and half Hispanic, and her father is Black. I’ve been labelled as “white-washed” because I don’t keep in touch with my Hispanic relatives, so I knew exactly what she meant when she said my daughter didn’t ‘fit the family.’.”
The groom, clearly annoyed, stood up and led his parents away. “Taking this as my signal, I decided it was time to go. I said my goodbyes to everyone and put Amelia in her pram,” she added. “As I was leaving, the bride came over to apologise for her in-laws’ behaviour. I was upset, but I knew it wasn’t her fault, so I simply wished her well and left.
“Now, about a week after the wedding, I was tagged in a Facebook post – odd, considering I don’t use Facebook. The post read: ‘I’m outraged that my grandchildren weren’t allowed at this event, but when a teen mother who couldn’t be responsible enough to leave her child with the father brings her baby, it’s perfectly fine.
“The post was from the groom’s mother. To make things worse, she’s also been telling family members that I’m lying about what she said regarding my daughter’s appearance.” While the majority concurred that the in-laws were to blame, some thought the bride was unjustly placed in a tough spot once the special request for treatment was made.
One user said: “When you make the call for a child-free wedding, everybody has to make the sacrifice. The bride and groom shouldn’t have given you an exception. Amelia should’ve stayed at your sister’s away from the wedding. And the groom’s parents just suck in every possible way. “Another weighed in, saying: “The bride said it was ok. The groom apparently agreed based on the fact he took his parents out of the situation.
“Those are the *only* two people who get a say.” Meanwhile, a third user said: “You’re in the wrong, especially since you put the bride on the spot by asking. It is your job to find a sitter or not go to child-free events. You asked the bride and she said yes, but you never should have made your child care anyone else’s problem. Taking just one baby to a child-free event causes everyone who didn’t bring kids to wonder why that baby is here but mine aren’t. If you had better manners, you would know this. and where was the father of this child?”.