CHOOSING a name for your child is a very challenging decision for any parent to make.
After all, you want to give your little one a name that not only they will love, but one that will also leave your loved ones impressed.
But if your friend told you their child’s name and you didn’t like it – what would you do?
Some people would immediately admit they weren’t a fan, but others would lie to their friend in order to spare their feelings.
One woman took to Mumsnet and admitted that she’d lied to her friend about liking her child’s name.
But not only did she lie about liking the name, even worse, she also got caught out for lying, leaving her in a very sticky situation.
The woman turned to Mumsnet users for advice and questioned if she was being unreasonable.
She wrote: “Friend told me today she has chosen the name Susan for her baby.
“I don’t like it personally but automatically said “oh, that’s nice”.
“She’s just WhatsApp me asking if I really liked the name as she got the feeling that I didn’t (oops, I’m a s**t liar).
“Would I be unreasonable to admit that I don’t?
“Or should I carry on lying about it? (Which I can do easier via WhatsApp!)”
Many mums took to the thread to share their advice on the situation.
Some thought that she should be honest and reveal her true feelings about the name, whereas others thought she should conceal her thoughts to avoid upsetting her friend.
One said: “Keep your honest opinion to yourself, she won’t thank you for it. While I agree it’s not a name I love, she clearly does love it.”
Another commented: “Don’t tell her you don’t like it, you’ll just upset your friend. Its a fairly “normal” name and not like she’s saddling a child with something really embarrassing.”
A third wrote: “You don’t tell her you don’t like her choice of name. It’s not your baby she’s naming, it’s hers.
“You say it’s a lovely classic name and you’re so excited that you’ll all soon be meeting her baby. That’s how a supportive friend behaves.”
A fourth advised: “She’s asked for your honest opinion, so I’d give it. As diplomatically as possible.”
Someone else said: “I think seeing as she has asked you could give her your opinion without being too blunt.
“I would probably duck out of saying I didn’t like it outright but say something like ‘I wouldn’t choose it, but I like Susie’ or ‘Suzanne is a lovely alternative’.”
