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Edinburgh Live
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Paige Freshwater & Abbie Meehan

Woman claims her mum 'ruined life' as she named her after Harry Potter character

While some parents name their children after elderly family members, or spend hours choosing the perfect name from books or websites, others find the perfect name from their old childhood favourites.

One Harry Potter-daft mum decided to name her daughter after a popular wizarding character in the series, reports the Mirror.

However, the child has hit out at her mother, claiming she hates her name and is "forced" to watch the Harry Potter films every year.

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The daughter explained on Reddit that her mum used to be a "big name" in the Harry Potter fan club, and has since tried to push her passion for the film and book franchise onto her kids - with no luck so far.

Taking to the online forum, the daughter said: "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."

And while the daughter didn't reveal her name, she noted that she is named after one of the most popular female characters in the franchise.

She continued: "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.'"

When her mum brought up watching all the films again one night, the daughter arranged to stay at a friend's house to avoid it.

However, this arrangement didn't go down too well with her family, and it ended up evolving into a heated argument.

She said: "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 also noted that she has asked her parents to take her to a national park for her birthday every year - but is shut down, and is forced to watch the boy wizard series once again.

She added: "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."

Most Reddit users agreed that the mother was being unreasonable in pushing her interests onto her children - but some urged the daughter to legally change her name if it causes her so much angst.

One 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."

Another said: "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."

And a third added: "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."

What would you do if you had a Harry Potter obssessed parent? Let us know in the comments below.

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