Animals are without a doubt one of the finest things in our lives. Almost identical to children. Some individuals, however, feel they are the same, despite the fact that things are considerably more difficult with kids. However, there is a subset of individuals who are so devoted to their canine companions that they have earned the moniker “dog fathers” or “dog mums.” Read the story and let us know what you think about this situation.
Source: Reddit
Leila and I are friends with 5 other women and have been since middle school. Everyone but us has kids, we have fur babies instead.
Once our group had kids, we tried to do a mother’s day lunch with all of us. It didn’t really go over that well because those without kids couldn’t really participate. Like what do I know about late night feedings and diapers and first steps or going through the adoption process. So people without kids were just left out and everyone was ok with that. It’s been like this for the last 11 years, and now it’s turned to their kids and husbands/partners make them brunch together, serve it up. Exchange gifts, stories and spend the day together on one big family outting.
Leila got her pup last year. She is 100% the ‘dog mom’. Stickers, shirts, will give you presents from her dog, and sign cards from her dog. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that and its cute. She can go overboard, like the birthday party she threw for her pup last month and invited our group and her friends from her doggy daycare. Some of our friends left because a couple of the kids have dog allergies and she had dogs EVERYWHERE and didn’t include that info. She was sad they left so we had to explain to her that she knows some of our friends’ kids have these allergies and she didn’t give a heads up she invited people to bring her dog’s ‘friends’ from doggy daycare. Eventually she let it go.
Mother’s Day rolls around, she came over and was pretty upset, said she needed to vent. She said she was hurt she was left out of the Mother’s Day outting because she’s a ‘dog mom’ and that counts too. I listened to her for a bit but when she started to actually get angry with our other friends, I told her they had a point not inviting us. We could deal with not being invited to one of two celebrations out of the year that’s for families. She asked if that means I don’t think of my cats and dog as family. I told her I do but it’s not the same.
I told her that the outing is for ‘real moms’ and their kids. Our friends are actually making sacrifices, giving up time, energy, and resources that we don’t. I gave the example that for her pup, she got her at 11 weeks when she was already born and weaned, she had help training her at a doggy academy, free and easy adoption, she has her in doggy daycare five days a week and anytime she wants to take off, and a groomer does all the bathing and trimming. I told her I’m not trying to take away from the joy being a dog mom brings her, but just trying to highlight how we aren’t the same kind of moms.
Leila left after that and none of us have heard from her. The only one who has talked to her, works with her, and says Leila has been making some comments about how she was intentionally left out and her friends don’t take her seriously because she doesn’t have a ‘crotch goblin’. I’m starting to think I may have messed up and should’ve just been quiet and let her be mad for a bit. Am I A Jerk ? What are your opinions? Did I go too far here?
