A daughter and mother are at odds after the teen changed her name.
The 17-year-old girl shared on Reddit’s “Am I the A——” forum that she waited months to tell her mom about the new name she picked for herself — a name that she’s gradually been telling people to call her.
“Throwaway account so my family doesn’t find this,” the teen, who posted anonymously, began her post. “I have hated my name since I was about 7, I never did anything about it though, because I thought people would find it strange for me to change my name for no reason.”
The teen explained that she “started thinking of new name ideas” about a year ago because going by a name she likes is “really important” to her.
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“A few months back I chose my name (let’s say it’s Piper) and only told a few people online to start with,” she revealed. “About 2 weeks ago I decided I was really happy with it and told 6 of my closest friends who were all really supportive.”
She then introduced herself to new peers at her “alternate education” classes using her newly selected name.
“I also decided I wanted to tell my family,” she wrote in her Feb. 16 post. “So, yesterday I sat my mum down and I said, ‘You know how I’ve been wanting to change my name? Well I’ve officially picked one and I would appreciate if you could call me Piper from now on.’ ”
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“She was super accepting and just called her brother to talk to him about it,” she recalled. “A little while later I got in the shower and when I got out she had suddenly flipped her opinion and decided I was selfish and rude for picking a name without discussing it with her because she hates the name and doesn’t want that to be her daughter’s name.”
The teen was taken aback, emphasizing how this was the first time she’s made a major life choice for herself without anyone’s input.
“I stood my ground and said I like the name, I think it’s really pretty and I don’t want to change it from Piper,” she said. “We’ve now been arguing all morning because she hates the name and thinks I was disrespectful.”
Somewhat second-guessing her decision now, the teen asked Redditors, “AITA [am I the a——] for changing my name?”
“NTA [not the a——],” several readers replied.
“It’s not her name. She doesn’t have to love it. But I would ask what changed her mind,” one person pondered. “Sounds like she talked to someone or something to change so suddenly like that. Or she is just having a knee-jerk reaction to the idea of the sudden big change.”
Another Redditor called out the mom and her brother, writing, “Your mom is TA [the a——], she shouldn’t have let her brother influence her decision or how she was parenting. Kids first, siblings second.”
Credit: dotdashmeredith.com
