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When Family is Not Supportive

You have found out you are expecting a baby and are ready to share the news with family. Maybe you are expecting happy reactions from family and friends when they hear the news. More often that not, this is the reaction you will get. However, in some cases certain family members may be less than supportive. Some may even voice their opinions quite loudly.

Sometimes we can be blind sided by the reaction of family members. This is particularly painful. When you broke the news, you were probably expecting excitement or congratulations. If the reaction is less than enthusiastic, feelings get hurt.

When the family member is outspoken with his or her opinion, you may feel hurt or even angry. You may find that your reaction changes from hurt to sad to angry and back again. This is completely understandable.

There are several ways to handle the situation. How you handle it will depend on your personality and your relationship with the offending family member.

Consider the other person’s point of view. This does not mean you should agree with them or validate it, but the understanding may help mend fences later. What is the objection? If you or your spouse is facing financial or health problems, a family member’s worries may be understandable.

Sometimes it may simply be the number of kids. Today’s families tend to be smaller than in past generations. Families with one or two kids are the norm in some communities. If your extended family members have small families, the news that you are expecting number six may be a big surprise. There is no one size fits all when it comes to having children.

In this situation, you may want to be straightforward about your happiness about the pregnancy. The blunt approach of this is our family and we make our own decisions is the quickest way to end the conversation. Ultimately, this should be your goal. It isn’t your job to convince anyone to be happy about the news. The important thing is that you and your partner are happy.

Related Articles:

Creating Pregnancy Announcements

Sharing the News of an Unplanned Pregnancy

Pregnancy and Your New Job

This entry was posted in Getting/Giving the News by Pattie Hughes. Bookmark the permalink.

About Pattie Hughes

Pattie Hughes is a freelance writer and mother of four young children. She and her husband have been married since 1992. Pattie holds a degree in Elementary Education from Florida Atlantic University. Just before her third child was born, the family relocated to Pennsylvania to be near family. She stopped teaching and began writing. This gives her the opportunity to work from home and be with her children. She enjoys spending time with her family, doing crafts, playing outside at the park or just hanging out together.