The latest Reddit news has seen a woman who admitted to wanting to ask for her baby shower gift back after her friend had a miscarriage heavily criticised.
The woman said her husband spent $400 (£320) on a gift for a “long-term family friend”. But after the family friend had a “traumatic miscarriage” she and her husband wanted to know if they could ask their friend to return the gift. They didn’t want it to “sit in an attic”. Many commenters criticised the pair for even considering asking. They argued it would pile onto their friend’s grief.
‘It’s going to sit in a box in her attic for years’
The woman who made the post explained that she and her husband already got their friend a present for her first baby. They also “didn’t expect” a full-blown baby shower or registry for her second baby. But after they bought an “expensive” gift for her, the friend suffered a “traumatic miscarriage”.
She added that the friend was devastated and “the cause of the loss likely means she won’t be able to carry future pregnancies to term”. But after a few months, the poster and her husband are considering asking for the gift back. She acknowledged that asking for the gift back seems “cruel”. She also didn’t want to “add a chore to her grief”. But they didn’t want the gift to “sit in a box in her attic for years”.
She added that it was probably too late to return the gift. But they wanted to give it to someone else who could use it. When she asked if she should ask the friend for the gift back, the poster was heavily criticised.
Reddit news: Woman blasted for considering asking for baby shower gift back
People were quick to ask the original poster to put themselves in their friend’s shoes. One person ranted: “She’s just lost her baby and her fertility. Don’t kick someone when they’re down. When she’s ready, she will probably sell your gift and use the money for something else, hopefully, something that brings her joy.”
Don’t kick someone when they’re down.
Another person added: “You chose to spend much money. You absolutely didn’t have to. There’s no tactful way to ask for it back. It’ll look petty and greedy, so they’ll either try to return everything if they rent to or donate it, but once the gifts are given you should let it go.” A third person agreed: “If you had gifted her child a bike or an expensive dolls house, and the kid died just before their birthday, would you ask for the gift back? In my mind, it’s the same thing.”
A fourth person argued: “I don’t know how you can hear someone had a miscarriage and potentially can no longer have children and then worry about how to get your gift back.”
The original poster later updated the post in the latest Reddit news. She said they agreed to not ask for the gift back. She added that she isn’t particularly close to this friend, but her husband is and hopes she donates the original gift.
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