Mom Says Daughter Isn’t Taking Motherhood Seriously Because She Refuses To Dress In Modest ‘Mommy Style’ Maternity Clothes
She wants her daughter to "mature" by wearing less revealing clothing.
sianstock / Canva Pro A mom is facing criticism for being too controlling after criticizing what her pregnant daughter was wearing.
Posting to Reddit, she claimed that the clothes her daughter has been wearing throughout her pregnancy are rubbing her the wrong way.
She thinks her daughter isn't ready for motherhood because she refuses to wear modest maternity clothes.
In her Reddit post, the 45-year-old woman explained that her 19-year-old daughter is pregnant. She previously attended college, but after discovering she was having a baby, she moved back home.
Her daughter is nearing the five-month mark, and because of pregnancy, her bras have begun not fitting her anymore. Her mother recommended that she buy some new ones, as her cup size will most likely continue to increase and stay that way even after she gives birth, at least for a couple of months.
"Well, the thing is that she changed her bra size, but she's still wearing her same old shirts," her mom admitted. "Some of them are fine, but some of them show too much. Sometimes she wears tank tops or shirts that have all of her cleavage uncovered."
She claimed that her daughter's choice of attire is fine for when they're at home, but when she's out in public, she feels uncomfortable by how her daughter will wear things that aren't modest. She asked her daughter to start wearing more "modest shirts," and even offered to help her buy maternity clothing that would fit her correctly.
"Not only because her normal shirts will get ruined if she continues to wear them, but also because she's a grown woman now and needs to dress more accordingly," she continued.
Without surprise, her teenage daughter didn't appreciate her mother's criticism and argued that she should be able to wear whatever she wanted.
Her mom rebutted, claiming that she was only trying to help her daughter "mature," especially when she was about to become a mother.
"I asked her if she thought this was a game. Because she doesn't seem to [be] maturing at all, she told me that I'm always telling her what to do and she's sick of it, so I told her that if she's sick she could easily leave and be responsible for her actions."
Now, the two of them are angry at each other and her mom went so far as to tell her she was only helping "out of the kindness of my heart," insisting that she should listen to the things that she told her to do and how to dress.
In the comments section, people sided with her pregnant daughter and pointed out that her mom can't control how she dresses.
"There are healthier ways to deal with any resentment that could stem from your child getting pregnant and dropping out of college than to try to quietly punish her under the pretense of responsibility," one Reddit user wrote. "She's still a teenager and will enjoy looking her age and dressing her age even if you don't think she deserves it anymore because she managed to ruin her youth in your eyes."
Another user added, "This isn’t about what she’s wearing or not: you want to control her behavior, and you’re upset that she rejected that. And by saying what you did, you showed that your support of her is conditional on her doing what you want."
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"Is she really the one who needs to mature?"
However, other people agreed with the mother's concern and were on her side about how she wanted her pregnant daughter to dress, with a third user writing, "It's not wrong for you to not want to be seen or have people see that your daughter is wearing clothes that just don't fit!"
A fourth user added, "She will already be judged enough for being a young mother. She is a perfect target for every negative stereotype about young mothers, and I see that you are trying to protect her from the world perceiving her negatively and the treatment it could expose her and her child to."
It's understandable that the mother of this young and expecting mom would be overprotective of her daughter's choices and want the best for her.
There's nothing wrong with suggesting that your child wear clothes that either fit them or flatter them more than the clothes they are wearing.
The issue lies in the fact that this mom seems to want her daughter to actively listen and follow all of the guidelines that she's setting regarding the type of clothes that her daughter is wearing. You can't force anyone, even if they are your child, to wear "modest" clothing.
Just because a woman is entering motherhood, doesn't mean that all of a sudden, she should be covered up from head and toe as a sign of maturing. Maturing is taking responsibility for your actions and making reasonable decisions, not the type of clothes you wear.
Women should be allowed to embrace all parts of themselves during pregnancy, including feeling confident and secure.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.