While some parents spend hours scrolling online to find unique baby names, others seek inspiration from their favourite books, movies or television shows. One particular mum who decided to name her daughter after a Harry Potter character has been slammed by her child after she says she despises her name and is 'forced' to watch the 'boring' films every year at Christmas and on her birthday.
The daughter complained how her mum was a 'big name' in the Harry Potter fan club and her parents who met had tried to force their mutual love for the franchise onto her children but they did not share her passion, the Mirror reports. The news comes as it was recently announced a new Harry Potter TV show is to be made - which is likely to bring even more 'hell' to the daughter's life.
The author added her siblings feel the same way and their 'fandom' parents have been shoving 'dragons and magic' down their throats from a young age.
Taking to Reddit to explain the situation further, she wrote: "My mum is a huge Harry Potter nut. She and my dad actually met in a Harry Potter internet relay chat (like Discord) in the early 2000s.
"They got married and had kids and from day one decided to embarrass us for life by naming us after some Harry Potter and Star Wars characters."
While the daughter didn't actually disclose her name, she says she was called after one of the most popular female characters in the worldwide franchise.
She added: "It has honestly been hell. I have a stupid name and since we were little my parents have forced stuff like Harry Potter, Star Wars, Marvel movies, etc, down our throats. Everything is about dragons and magic and blah blah blah. I'm so sick of it.
"Every birthday, every holiday, everything is just organised around 'fandom'. The days leading up to Christmas, we have to sit down every night and watch Harry Potter movies - it's so f***ing boring.
"I can usually get away with knitting or drawing on my iPad during this but this last year my mum was like 'Let's just have a technology and distraction free night every night'."
The daughter said when her mum suggested they watch all the movies again, she arranged to spend the evening at a friend's house instead. However, her mum was not happy with her missing the 'family tradition' and it ended in a heated argument in which she told her: "You wouldn't exist if it wasn't for Harry Potter."
The daughter continued: "I arranged to go over to my friend Missy's house instead for like two nights - Missy's family is normal and likes things a normal amount.
"My mum got really mad and started talking about how it's a family tradition and how I'm basically rejecting her - and went on her whole thing about how 'You wouldn't exist if it wasn't for Harry Potter'. I finally had it and just yelled 'Nobody cares that you were a big name in the Harry Potter fan club!'.
"I don't like Harry Potter! I don't like Star Wars! I hate Marvel movies, they're all so boring. Please just let me have my own interests!
"They always have time for the Chamber of Secrets and it's like 'No! I don't want to have to watch Harry punch the f***ing snake again. And they're like 'But he didn't punch the snake, he XYZ' and it's like 'Wow same f***ing thing! Who cares? It's a f***ing movie'.
"I couldn't help it, I started crying because I was just so frustrated because everything always has to be about Harry Potter this Star Wars that - and now that we're all older they started doing Game of Thrones. Everything is centred around some kind of movie or TV show or book series."
She went on to claim that she asks her parents to take her to a national park in their state to celebrate her birthday every year but she is forced to watch Harry Potter instead.
She fumed: "Just once I want my family to band around something that doesn't have to do with media or these nerdy things. We live in Utah where we have like five National Parks and even though I ask every year for my birthday, I've never been to the arches."
Other Reddit users flocked to the comments to sympathise with the daughter as they agreed her mum shouldn't force her own interests onto her kids. Some people also urged her to change her name if it upsets her so much.
One person replied: "It's a shame that in their obsession and absorption in their fandom, they've really killed some cool books and movies and stuff for you and your siblings. Lots of people enjoy these things without making them their whole life."
Another user wrote:: "I sometimes worry about my approach to parenting. My kids have a weird first name and the firstborn is really interested in hobbies that I do (sewing, knitting etc.)
"But then I remind myself... I gave my kids a more common middle name as an out if they choose and I've never demanded that my child does what I do. I facilitate her interest in it, but I don't push it."
A third user remarked: "I’m laughing while compiling a list to prove how they're different. I feel for you. Maybe compare yourself to Luke Skywalker when he's trying to convince Uncle Owen he wants to be a pilot instead of a farmer. Maybe then, your parents will catch a clue."
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