...
By Darlin TilleryShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberA pregnant woman says she was left reeling after her parents announced plans for a lengthy summer vacation that would take them out of town during her due date and the first weeks of her baby’s life, prompting her to question how much support she can expect from them going forward.
The 30-year-old woman explained, as Reddit user maplehoneycupcake, that she is expecting her first child in mid-July 2026.
Her parents, ages 69 and 70, live about 15 minutes away and are her only nearby family. The mom-to-be said she and her husband moved across the country several years ago to be closer to them as they aged and because they hoped their future children would have a close relationship with their grandparents.
The issue surfaced soon after the original poster (OP) told her parents about the pregnancy last November. Their first concern was whether she and her husband could still attend the extended family’s annual summer vacation, which usually lasts three weeks from late July into August.
When the OP said travel would not be possible with a newborn, her parents floated the idea of extending their trip to six weeks and suggested she drive 18 hours with the baby, or fly shortly after giving birth.
'You'll find a way'
The situation escalated over Christmas, when her parents announced they had booked a six-week vacation, plus an additional week to visit other relatives, keeping them away from July 23 until mid-September. Her sister pointed out that this meant they would miss the birth and the baby’s first seven weeks.
According to the post, the parents responded that she could come visit them instead.
The woman later told her mother she felt hurt and hoped they might return sooner. She said her mother replied, “You’re resourceful, I know if you really want us there, you’ll find a way to deliver early so we can be there.”
...That comment struck a nerve with Reddit readers who replied with more than 700 remarks in three days.
"Honestly, your mother's comment about you being ‘resourceful’ and finding a way to deliver early is what tips right into [not overreacting] for me," a sympathizer said.
"It's just such a weird, passive aggressive thing to say.”
Another supporter agreed: "Personally, I'd be reconsidering living in the sticks to ‘take care’ of people who think you're ‘resourceful’ enough to force an early birth just for them.”
Distancing Strategies
According to a 2020 U.S. nationwide survey cited by Newsweek, one-in-four Americans reported being estranged from another relative.
In a separate Newsweek article, clinical psychologist Wendy O’Neill warned that labeling parents as toxic can be unhelpful, but added that harmful patterns matter.
“It is more helpful to consider situations or events that may be ‘toxic’ or examine the dynamics within a relationship,” O’Neill said.
Regarding the latest case, the OP said she has distanced herself from her parents in recent weeks as her anger and sadness have grown. She added that the episode has forced her to rethink earlier moments when she felt deprioritized, including years when her parents rarely visited her when she lived far away.
While she acknowledged that pregnancy hormones may be intensifying her reaction, she said the responses from strangers online helped her feel validated as she considers what kind of relationship she wants after her child is born.
Newsweek has reached out to maplehoneycupcake for comment via Reddit. We could not verify the details of the case.
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, click here.
Request Reprint & LicensingSubmit CorrectionView Editorial & AI Guidelines
Add Newsweek as a preferred source on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search.Related Podcasts
Top Stories
NewsWho is Derrick Callella? Suspect Arrested After Threatening Guthrie Family5 min read
For MembersNewsUncommon Knowledge: Trump Loses a Redistricting Battle, Not the War5 min read
For MembersAnalysisTrump and Putin Turn the Doomsday Clock Back to 19726 min read
WorldChina Paying Russia for Arctic Access While Deepening Nordic Bonds10 min read
NewsUS Is ‘The Bad Guy’ in Missing Deal With Russia on Nuclear Treaty7 min read
NewsHillary Clinton Sends Defiant Message To Republicans4 min readTrending
Social SecuritySocial Security Taxes to Change Under New Bill4 min read
TaxesSome Americans Eligible for Thousands in Tax Refund After Court Ruling5 min read
Nancy GuthrieNancy Guthrie Search Angers Man Whose Daughter Is Missing: ‘I’m Not Rich’5 min read
Breaking NewsWinter Storm Map Shows 4 States Getting Up to 7 Inches of Snow3 min read
IRSTax Refund Update on Extra $1,000 for 100 Million American Families5 min readOpinion
OpinionTrump’s Fight Against Fraud Will Make America Affordable Again | Opinion5 min read
OpinionWe Survived Natural Disasters. FEMA Left Us Behind | Opinion5 min read
OpinionCabinet Members: President Trump Is Strengthening Farmers’ Rights | Opinion5 min read
For MembersOpinionConventional Wisdom: Gerrymandering Arms Race Update4 min read
OpinionArmenia as a Bridge, Not a Battleground | Opinion5 min read
