Baby shower guest prompts discourse after complaining about being asked to buy mom gift from a registry: 'No one owes you a gift because you got pregnant'

One of many undeniable truths about parenthood is that kids are expensive. Even those parents who do their best to make the most of hand-me-downs, thrift shops, and good old-fashioned budgeting find that keeping a whole other person or several alive takes a chunk out of their income that wasn't there before. You can try to be economical all you like, but all that food, clothing, entertainment, and more will never be completely free.

This can be especially overwhelming for those who are expecting. Not only are their lives going to change forever, but there is such a lot of stuff that they seem to need to accompany that. One of the best things you can do for a pregnant friend or family member is buy them something that they think they will want when the baby arrives, and traditionally, a baby shower has been the optimal time to do this.

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However, not everybody is so comfortable with this accepted arrangement. One woman found herself in the center of a controversy recently after she complained about the mom throwing a baby shower she had been invited to requesting that guests buy a gift from their registry.
Arguing that gift-giving should be a kind gesture and not a responsibility, she claimed that in the face of this injustice, she would refuse to go to the party. This led to many questioning why she had reacted this way.
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While a couple of people agreed with her, most could not wrap their heads around her strong refusal to participate in the registry.

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Long story short: parents need a lot of things for a new baby, and they would prefer not to have anything they don't want or five of the same item. It makes sense.
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