People Praise Grandmother's 'Messed Up' Reaction To Learning Her Daughter Is Pregnant Again
"You can't handle the two you have."
MAYA LAB / Shutterstock While a pregnancy announcement is often taken as good news, one grandmother had a different reaction when her child revealed her third pregnancy, shared in a TikTok video.
After revealing their third pregnancy, one couple's mother appeared disappointed.
In the video that's since gone private, the couple is seen sitting in the backyard of their house with their mother when they decided to announce their third pregnancy. There is a sonogram of the couple's third baby in their mother's hands as they record her reaction, predicting it would be one of joy.
Photo: Kelly Sikkema / Unsplash
Instead, they were taken aback by the grandmother's apparent disappointment.
“Another one? Already? You can’t handle the two you have,” the grandmother said.
The smile on the pregnant woman’s face soon turned into a frown upon hearing what her mother said. As everyone had been shocked by the grandmother’s reaction, which the grandmother soon filled with further disbelief.
“Really? Another baby?” the grandmother asked.
After the couple reassured her that yes, they really were having another baby, the grandmother looked at the picture of the sonogram in her hands and let out a huge sigh, upsetting her daughter, who called her mother's reaction "really messed up."
People on TikTok applauded the grandmother's brutal honesty, recognizing that she is likely a main caretaker for her grandchildren.
While the grandmother's reaction may appear ruthless at the outset, as many people on TikTok pointed out, she is likely looking out for her grandkids' best interest.
“I WISH more people were honest like this! Children are not toys," someone wrote. "They are full human beings and it takes time, money, resources, and love for each one.”
As others noted in the comments, “If grandma has this reaction… she 1000% has to help them more than she wishes,” which, according to Fortune, is true for at least 40% of grandparents. While most grandparents would agree that they enjoy the opportunity to spend more time with their grandkids, as national board-certified counselor Dr. Teralyn Sell, Ph.D. explained in a TikTok video, a reaction like this grandmother's is likely due to her daughter's expectation that she would continue providing childcare despite the daughter's potential lack of financial and other resources.
Having a grandparent available to babysit is undoubtedly a blessing, families should set — and abide by — boundaries to keep their own relationships and financial wellness intact, as becoming full-time childcare more often than not comes at the expense of the grandparents' time, financial security and even mental health.
Though this specific family's dynamic is unclear, for those in a similar situation, it's crucial to keep the lines of communication open to ensure an arrangement that works for everyone.
Sanika Nalgirkar, M.F.A. is a writer who covers entertainment & news, lifestyle, and pop culture topics.