Throwing a gender-reveal party is supposed to be fun. You gather up your family and closest friends to share with them the special moment when you find out whether you're having a boy or a girl. Then you celebrate with some cake, because in the end, it's the health of the baby and mom that truly matters, right? Well…
While many moms- and dads-to-be say their main concern is that the pregnancy is complication-free and that the baby is well, the truth is some parents do secretly harbor a preference for a baby boy or baby girl. And when cameras are rolling and emotions are running high, sometimes a parent's true thoughts about the sex of a future baby are captured forever, for better or for worse.
In this now viral clip from the Shade Room, an unknown couple pulls confetti poppers to find out they're expecting a little girl.
Mom, who's already dressed in pink, seems thrilled with the news, but Dad shakes his head and walks away in apparent disgust. The clip quickly went viral, and now people are debating whether or not the dad was totally out of line for reacting the way he did.
Some people were embarrassed by Dad's behavior on Mom's behalf.
Even if he was overcome by the thought of having to walk a little girl down the aisle one day, does that excuse the dad-to-be for making a scene in front of everyone? Some said while his feelings of disappointment were valid, throwing an adult temper tantrum wasn't the right move. After all, if the pregnant woman full of hormones can keep herself composed while there are guests around, shouldn't Dad be able to?
Others worried about what his daughter would think when she saw this video one day.
The Internet's memory is longer than an elephant's, and babies born today will grow up using the Internet to document their lives. Rather than scribble in Lisa Frank diaries, they'll update their Instagram stories. And instead of looking through our old yearbooks, they'll google us, which could easily lead to the discovery of this video. Even if the dad was joking in his less than enthusiastic reaction to learning that he's going to have a daughter, that's not clear from the video, and taken at face value, this could be hurtful to his daughter years from now.
FEATURED VIDEO:
But plenty of people defended the dad and pointed out that many moms have strong reactions at gender reveals, too.
We've all see the video of the mom with four sons freaking out and falling to the floor in delight when she cuts into a cake full of pink frosting to find out she's having a girl. And when you hear that someone with two boys or two girls is pregnant with a third child, it's hard not to wonder (or flat-out ask, if you're me with zero filter) if she's hoping for the opposite sex.
Sure, parents hope that their baby is healthy and that the pregnancy goes well. But generally speaking, whether it's because you have a vision in your head of what parenthood will be like or you just want to know if you'll be able to use the hand-me-downs from your sister's sons, a lot of parents do have a preference regarding the gender of their baby. Perhaps admitting when you're disappointed with the outcome isn't an awful thing. It's just being honest.
Rather than viewing it as a sign of immaturity, some see Dad's reaction as the ultimate symbol of love.
Personally, I'd be one spicy meatball if I was pregnant and my partner stomped away, leaving me holding pink confetti alone in front of all our loved ones. But it's true that a strong reaction to the gender reveal is better than no reaction at all.
Sure, Dad was upset (or so we think — with pink table cloths and Mom's matching dress, it's possible he was just going for a laugh), but it's definitely better to have a dad that's passionate about his role as a father than one who couldn't care less.
