Becoming a mom to a second child decades after my first one was meant to be positively life-changing. But my son announced he was expecting a child too, and that’s where our clashes began! His pregnant girlfriend threw tantrums making demands I wasn’t willing to accommodate My son, Kyle, was born when I was 20 and still a child myself, but I think I did the best for him as a parent…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>
This year was supposed to be one of joyful experiences. First, at forty-two, 22 years after welcoming Kyle, I chose to become a mother for the second time! The second happy thing that happened also left ME shocked!
Kyle, who was in his final year of college, broke the news of his girlfriend’s pregnancy when I was four months along! I hadn’t expected that before the year was out I’d become a mother and soon afterward, a grandmother!
I am not going to lie, but I wasn’t very thrilled about my son becoming a parent at a young age like me. From my own experiences, which include being a single parent, bringing up a baby when you’re still pretty much one is HARD.
But, I refrained from saying anything because Kyle seemed excited.
“That’s amazing, Kyle! I can’t believe you’re going to be a father!” I exclaimed, hugging him. “Thanks, Mom! Well, you’re going to be a first-time grandmother!” he replied, returning the warm embrace.
“Our children are going to be born a few months apart!” I realized this as we discussed the matter further.
Despite the initial shock, I embraced my new role. I started supporting them both emotionally and with a lot of financial help. Our lives, already intertwined, were about to grow even closer—or so I thought.
The tension began when I recently gave birth to my beautiful baby girl. Kyle and his girlfriend, Sarah, were some of the people who visited me in the hospital. “Congratulations! You’re now a parent to two gorgeous children!” Kyle said as he tied down balloons and his girlfriend gave me flowers.
“Aw! Thanks for coming through, guys. The flowers and balloons are lovely!” Luck was on their side because right at that moment, the nurse wheeled in my baby girl for me to feed her. “What is my baby sister’s name?” my son asked while touching her tiny fist.
“I named her Clara,” I proudly told them. The name held sentimental value to me and it was one I thought would usher in a new chapter for our growing family. But, Kyle and his girlfriend had other ideas!
When they found out her name, my son’s girlfriend gave out a piercing scream! I swear, I thought I had become deaf! My baby girl broke out in her own bawl, frightened by the unexpected sound!
I held my precious bundle close to me and tried to comfort her.
Their visit to the hospital should have been a happy occasion, but it dissolved into chaos! The nurse came rushing back in, concerned about baby Clara. Sarah had screamed so loudly that I feared for the hospital’s windows!
Their demand was immediate and absurd: I was to change Clara’s name. “The point is, this name…” Kyle tried to argue, his face red with frustration. The nurse, realizing that some serious drama was about to unfold, asked:
“Can I take Cla… I mean, the baby back? I’ll bring her in again later when things are calmer.”
With my newborn safe from the spectacle that was unfolding, I stood firm as I said “NO,” the weight of my decision unequivocal. Sarah tried saying something but Kyle grabbed hold of her arm.
They stormed out of the hospital, leaving a wake of bewildered nurses and a very tired new mom.
Days turned into weeks, and the issue seemed to simmer down. Yet, Kyle and Sarah announced they had chosen a new name for their daughter: Paxtyn. The name fell flat between us during a tense family dinner. My unintentional grimace set off a firestorm.
“It’s your fault!” Sarah accused, her voice sharp with resentment. “You stole the only name I liked, and now you ruin this one too!”
Kyle, caught between us, tried to mend fences. “Mom, could you reconsider it? Just to keep peace?” His eyes pleaded for some compromise.
But the idea of changing my daughter’s name to appease them felt wrong. “I cannot believe you’d ask me to rename my child,” I told him, the absurdity of the situation not lost on me. “Firstly, my baby came before your child.”
“Secondly, you guys NEVER mentioned wanting to name your child that.”
Let me tell you, that dinner ended then and there as we couldn’t reach a compromise.
Their threats escalated over the next few days. “You have two months to fix this,” Kyle warned over the phone.
It seemed he was implying that by the time their child was born, I should’ve changed my daughter’s name. Sarah grabbed hold of the phone. She said, “We’ll call your granddaughter Paxtyn and I’ll enjoy it when I tell my friends her ridiculous name!”
I couldn’t believe this young woman’s nerve! She was saying she hates ME more than she loves HER daughter. “You’re willing to have her ridiculed for the rest of her life to punish ME?” I asked incredulously.
When my son snatched the phone back, I questioned if he even liked the name Paxtyn, and he hung up!
In a moment of exasperation, I texted Sarah, trying perhaps foolishly to extend an olive branch. “I’ve been thinking about it, and I kind of like the name Paxtyn,” I lied.
Her response was swift and venomous. “To hell with you!”
That text ended not only the conversation but also my financial help to them. It was a harsh line to draw, but necessary for my sanity and respect. I refused to be blackmailed over a name, especially one that meant so much to me.
In the quiet that followed, I held Clara close. Her innocent eyes are wide and uncomprehending of the adult complexities swirling around her. I whispered promises of love and protection, a vow to keep her world as pure and joyful as possible.
As for Kyle and Sarah, the distance between us grew. They chose to keep the name Paxtyn, a constant reminder of the rift. Yet, despite the heartache, I remain hopeful. Time, I believe, heals and teaches in equal measure.
Someday, they might understand why I had to stand my ground. For now, I focus on Clara, my unexpected blessing, and let the storm of that year slowly fade into memory.
Kyle’s mother had to put her foot down and some boundaries but things didn’t end well in her relationship with her son. Unfortunately, Ella had a similar situation with her daughter, but she fell pregnant. The pregnant daughter ended up breaking her mother’s trust, causing a strain between them.
Am I a Bad Mother for Kicking My Pregnant Daughter Out?
Hi, I’m Ella, and I’ve been on an emotional rollercoaster lately. I’m a single mom to my 19-year-old daughter, Rose, who’s been dating Nathan, a guy I surprisingly warmed up to, considering I’m pretty guarded.
They seemed perfect together until one day Rose dropped a bombshell—she was pregnant and engaged to Nathan. Just as I was wrapping my head around becoming a grandmother and accepting their future together, my world turned upside down!
I came home early one day, expecting a quiet afternoon, only to find Rose in a compromising situation with another man! The heartbreak and betrayal I felt at that moment were overwhelming. I asked the stranger to leave immediately and confronted Rose.
Her tearful pleas and explanations did little to calm the storm inside me. In a moment of hurt and anger, I told her she needed to leave our home. Now, I’m left questioning everything. Should I tell Nathan about what happened?
Did I overreact by asking Rose to leave? I’m torn between my love for my daughter and the betrayal I feel. What would you do in my shoes?
As at 1850, Ara was one of the most powerful towns in Ekiti with a settlement spaning as big as that of Ijaye in Egbaland. In August 1855, the people of Ara (also called Ara-Ekiti) committed mass suicide to avoid getting enslaved by Ibadan.
The mass suicide was initiated by the leader of Ara town, Alara Elejofi, who (with the help of his first son) destroyed his properties, killed his family and himself. Many other households in the town replicated this act, and when the Ibadan army arrived with their wide array of weaponry, they turned back at the gory sight of dead bodies that littered the town…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>
Earlier, the people of Ara had rebelled against their former Alara (ruler) because of his bad governance and the grevious offences he had committed against his townspeople. He was exiled. It was during his exile that Chief Elejofi took over the rulership of the town.
The exiled Alara was not willing to let go of his throne and thus sought help from Ibadan. His request was granted because Ibadan, which as at then was gradually filling the vacuum created by the fall of Oyo, was hungry for towns to shove under its administration. The Ibadan army had just returned from an expedition in Ijebu-Ere and with their help, the deposed Alara returned to Ara and was fearfully accepted.
Shortly after Ibadan restored the deposed Alara of Ara, its army attacked Ikoro, another town in Ekiti, because they prevented Ibadan army from foraging on their crops, and also because there were rumours that Ikoro was planning to attack the Ibadan army.
During the attack on Ikoro, some other towns in Ekiti, including Ara-Ekiti, tried to defended Ikoro. The restored Alara prevented his townspeople from joining the fight against Ibadan, hence another unrest ensued in the town. Ibadan eventually defeated Ikoro and went ahead to punish the towns that helped Ikoro during the war, including Ara. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
During this period, Chief Elejofi had again taken over the rulership of Ara and held on to it for some months before it eventually crumbled due to starvation, and to avoid being enslaved by Ibadan, the people of Ara-Ekiti committed an unprecedented mass suicide. This incident is quite similar to the mass suicide of Igbo slaves off the U.S. coast in 1803.
The town of Ara was left deserted for many years before some of its exiled descendants returned home. Ara suicide remains one of the most disturbing chapters in the history of Ekiti and the entire Yoruba land.
This past summer, Kelsie Skillen, 19, was beaten by her boyfriend, James McCourt, 19 in Glasgow, Scotland. Kelsie, a makeup artist, shared pictures of her injuries on Facebook.
Mother says boyfriend forced her 5-year-old daughter to put uriine-soaked socks in her mouth and then pulled it out so aggressively that two of her teeth fell out, but that’s not the worst of it!
Prosecutors said the 23-year-old mother, Katrina, and her 27-year-old boyfriend Jose forced her 5-year-old daughter to put uriine-soaked socks in her mouth and then pulled it out so aggressively that two of her teeth fell out.
But, unfortunately, that’s not the worst of it! Last week, the mother pleaded guilty to her role in the death of her 5-year-old daughter. Prosecutors said the mother pleaded guilty to a first-degree felony count of injury to a child causing serious bodily injury by omission, NYP reported…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>
According to the court documents, the District Attorney’s Office agreed to reduce her sentence at 45 years if she pleaded guilty. Investigators revealed that the 5-year-old child, Mercedes, suffered weeks of extreme physical abuse that left her with cuts and bruises and caused her to lose large chunks of hair and several toenails.
Both the mother and her boyfriend abused the child for three weeks after she asked him to help discipline the girl. She claimed he forced her daughter to put dog fe-es in her mouth as he screamed at her. The mother also said that her boyfriend stuffed a sock soaked in ur-ne into the girl’s mouth and then pulled it out so aggressively that two of her teeth fell out, officials have said.
Her boyfriend claimed he only slapped the girl on the a-s and accused the victim’s 6-year-old sister of pulling out her hair. Ruiz, who pleaded not guilty to injury to a child causing serious bodily injury, is scheduled to go to trial in October.
