Christmas is fast approaching and with just over a week to go parents all over the world are busy getting their kids in the festive spirit. But in this period where the temperature drops and people have colds and flus left, right and centre, many are also keen on protecting their kids from viruses.
However, one mum has faced a backlash from her mother-in-law for trying to be safer and setting out simple rules for seeing her baby this Christmas, such as no touching her face and no kissing, which the mother-in-law has called patronising. Taking to a Reddit post, the mum, who remained anonymous, explained that her baby has not yet had the vaccinations to protect her from everyday viruses so has set these rules in place for Christmas to avoid too many bad germs getting to the baby.
In the post, the woman explained: "My baby is six- weeks- old and she hasn't had any vaccines yet.
"For this reason I've been feeling a bit anxious about Christmas, so I sent a general message to everyone with the basic rules: no kissing, wash your hands, don’t touch her hands/face, if you're ill stay away, etc."
However, these rules have really upset her partner's mum who has kicked up quite the fuss.
"This really upset my boyfriend's mom [sic] and made her cry," said the woman.
"She feels 'pushed away' and patronised. His dad is also annoyed at us. No one else had this reaction. Yes it may be a bit patronising, but if I didn't state my boundaries then people have an excuse to push them."
The woman went onto say that she has never had an issue with the family but feels this very selfish of them.
She said: "I’m not withholding her from anyone, literally just don't put your germs on her. I feel awful now.
"On one hand I feel guilty that I upset her, but on the other hand I'm annoyed that I can't set boundaries and my anxiety around Christmas has now doubled."
In response the mum has received a lot of support as many think the in-laws reaction is selfish.
One person wrote: "As harsh as it sounds, she can cry about it all she wants. She's your baby and if your mother-in-law doesn't like your rules then that's her problem."
While another stated: "Just tell her everyone got the same text and drop it. Do not keep trying to make her feel better, she just wants attention."
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