Many parents have certain hopes and dreams for their children, but for most people, those desires revolve around the type of person they’ll grow up to be – not how they look.
But one pregnant woman has been slammed on Reddit after her fiancé revealed she doesn’t want their impending arrival to be a boy, because she’s worried he might not be tall when he grows up.
The man explained in his post that he is 5ft 4in and his partner is 5ft 5in – and their below-average heights have sent alarm bells ringing in the woman’s head.
The baby will be the second child for the woman, who already has a “tall kid” with a previous partner, and she thinks the new arrival will be significantly shorter because of their father’s genes.
The man wrote on Reddit: “My fiancée and I are expecting a child together. It was unplanned but we are excited and welcoming for it. We don’t know the sex of the baby yet.
“My fiancé never minded too much I was shorter than her. I knew she preferred taller men, but at the end of the day she chose me.
“I was never insecure about my height because it’s nothing I can control. Why be insecure about something I can’t help?
“Sure, I got made fun of for being short, but it’s not my fault I’m short. I never took it harshly.”
According to the man, his fiancée is concerned their child could be “bullied” for being short – but the man says her comments made him upset.
He added: “My fiancée told me she hopes we don’t have a son because he’d be short. She went on about how short guys get bullied, and that it’s better for boys to be tall.
“It made me feel a type of way, like she really wouldn’t want a short son.
“Her other son is already tall, and I just felt kind of cr***y hearing that. As a short guy, I wouldn’t want to be taller. I’m happy the way I am.
“Why wouldn’t she be happy if she has a short son? Who cares? All I can think about is being a parent. Not the height of my kid.”
More than 300 people took to the comments of the Reddit post, and many of them pointed out that having short parents doesn’t automatically equal a short child.
One person said: “Parents’ height doesn’t matter much, and short parents doesn’t always equal short kids. Both my parents are like 5ft 2in, but me and brother are 5ft 10in and 5ft 8in.
“Of course, genetics do play a role, but it’s not something you control or determine yourself. There are some external factors like nutrition during childhood that can play a role in height.”
Other people said being tall won’t necessarily stop you from being bullied – as children can find a number of things to poke fun at.
Someone posted: “Does she realise that kids will get picked on no matter what? Maybe it’s height, ear size, freckles, glasses … whatever.
“Height is such a silly thing to focus on. How about focus on building character?”
And someone else added: “Your child could get bullied for any reason or no reason at all. I think your fiancée should open her eyes to this.”
But others sympathised with the woman, noting that she may not have been serious with her comments.
One person wrote: “Ignore her. Pregnant women may think stupid stuff. I wanted mine to have blonde hair by all means (I’m blonde, and his father has afro hair). You then realise you love your kid even if it’s two headed.”
While another agreed, adding: “Once the kid is here, she’s going to love it no matter what. So, don’t worry about it. It makes no difference.”