For Nearly an Hour I Watched Young Soon-to-Be Parents, Fresh Out of Sixth Form, at the Doctor’s Surgery

Author Wanda MirandaReading 3 minViews 2

For about an hour, I watched the future parents, who had just left secondary school behind.

Not long ago, I had a visit to the gynaecologist. As per usual, there was a long queue and the doctor was late. Behind me stood a pregnant girl, roughly eighteen years old, not alone but with the soon-to-be father, who looked just as young. The parents paid no mind to the line, acting in whatever peculiar way their whims dictated. The boy was giggling up and down the waiting corridor, exclaiming with a manic glee about their child:

Isnt it smashing that its a boy? Heeeeeeeeeee…

He repeated this phrase ten times, and then suddenly burst out:

Oh! We havent named him! Lets pick a doctors name!

He began to patrol the corridor, reading out the consultants names and analysing them as though searching for gold among stones. On finishing his little investigation, he flopped back beside the girl and erupted into more laughter. An elderly lady passing by finally chided him:

Young man, would you please calm down!

He turned with a look of dreamy surprise at her interruption, fixed his gaze on her and replied:

Grannys expecting too! Hee-hee-hee-hee…

His girlfriend let out a soft giggle, her vacant, dreamlike smile matching his own. I just about managed to restrain myself, forcing back the urge to start a row right there in the surgery, especially with a pregnant girl. The young man then launched into a new theme: food.

Im absolutely famished! Yum-yum-yum-yum…
Im starving, and this queues another half hour…
Lets go get some sausage rolls! We can come back after!
I dont fancy sausage rolls.
Youve gone picky! Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo…

Everyones heads were throbbing from the nonsense, but, praise the heavens, the couple wandered off somewhere, whether it was for sausage rolls or perhaps jam roly-poly, I cant say. The important thing was that they left.

With a chill, I thought about what kind of upbringing their child might receive. Most likely, the little one will end up just as dreadfully mannered. One could only hope the grandparents would step in, but, judging by the fruits of their labour before, it hardly seems likely the next generation will fare any better.

And so the corridor stretched on, quietly echoing with those senseless, giddy giggles as if everything there was made of wishes and fog.

— Needless to Say, This Is All My Fault! — My Boyfriend’s Sister Sobs: “I Never Imagined Anything Like This Could Happen! Now I Don’t Know What to Do Next, or Even How to Handle It Without Losing Face.” My boyfriend’s sister married a few years ago. After the wedding, it was agreed that the newlyweds would live with her husband’s mother. His parents have a spacious three-bedroom flat and only one son. “I’ll keep one room for myself, the rest is yours!” announced the mother-in-law. “We’re all well-mannered, so I’m sure we’ll get along just fine.” “We can always move out!” her husband reassured her. “There’s nothing wrong with trying to live with my mum under one roof. If it doesn’t work out, we can always get a place of our own…” That’s exactly what happened. Turns out, living together was quite the challenge. Both daughter-in-law and mother-in-law tried their best, but things just got worse every day. Tensions kept bubbling up, and the arguments became more frequent as time went on. “You said if we couldn’t stand it, we’d just move out!” the wife cried in frustration. “And didn’t we?” her husband shrugged indifferently. “These are minor issues—not worth packing up and leaving over, are they?” Exactly one year after their wedding, she became pregnant and gave birth to a healthy baby boy. The arrival of the grandson coincided with the mother-in-law leaving her job—and she hadn’t found a new one yet, as nobody wanted to hire someone nearing retirement. So mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were suddenly home together 24/7, neither able to go out much, and the atmosphere at home worsened every day. The husband shrugged and listened to their complaints—he was the only one bringing in any money. “We can’t leave my mother alone right now, she hasn’t got the means to support herself. I can’t abandon her, and I can’t afford to rent a place and help Mum out at the same time. Once she finds a job, we’ll move out.” But the young mother’s patience wore thin. She packed her things and her son’s as well, and moved in with her own mum. When she left, she told her husband she’d never set foot in his mother’s house again. If he truly cared about his family, he’d have to do something about it. She was sure her husband valued their family and would try hard to win them back. But she was very wrong. It’s been more than three months since she moved out, and her husband hasn’t made any attempt to bring her home. He still lives with his mother, keeps in touch with his wife and child via video calls after work, and visits them at his mother-in-law’s on weekends. He enjoys attention and care from two women at once, his mother has all the sympathy in the world for her poor son “abandoned” by that angry wife, and he doesn’t actually have to look after the child! The husband’s winning! And the mother-in-law probably feels like nothing’s changed at all. The young wife, meanwhile, is far from happy. She loves her husband—even though she knows he’s acting poorly. “What did you think would happen when you left?” he asks. “You’re welcome to come back whenever you like.” Realistically, the wife has no intention of leaving her own mum to rent her own flat. She’s on maternity leave, after all; she hasn’t got the means. Is this truly the end of their family? Do you think she has even the slightest chance of going back to her mother-in-law’s house and saving face in this situation?

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“Mum, he wants me to do it for him… He says all good wives can do it… So am I not a good wife? Please teach me… If everyone else can, surely I should be able to as well…” I’m still amazed my niece found herself a husband – all thanks to her mother. When Alina was little, my sister refused to send her to nursery school; as a teenager, she wasn’t allowed out and spent most of her time at home, turning into a bit of a recluse. When she studied at our local university, her mum made sure she was always home before six o’clock. At twenty years old, her mother was still phoning her at half seven to shout and ask why she wasn’t home yet. It was all a bit ridiculous. Alina met her future husband in her second year at university. They met studying in the library—he was two years older, shared his notes with her, helped her out, and before he knew it, he was in love. That was when my niece started to defiantly break her mother’s strict rules. Eventually, my niece married and her mother finally allowed her to start her own life. Now, let me tell you what happened recently. I was at my sister’s house when Alina called, her voice wobbling between tears and laughter so you could barely understand: “Mum, he wants me to do something… He says every good wife can do it… So am I not a good wife? Please teach me… If other women can, I should be able to as well…” My sister’s face changed in a flash, and she quickly told her daughter to calm down and explain just what all good wives are supposed to do. “It’s soup, Mum,” Alina said—and we burst out laughing. “Don’t laugh at me! You never taught me how to make it! I tried recipes online but nothing tastes right!” So my sister and I quickly talked her through soup-making step by step, giggling all the while. That evening, my niece rang to thank us for our help—her husband had paid her a compliment, the soup was delicious, and now, she said, she finally felt like a proper woman!

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“It’s All My Fault, Obviously! My Boyfriend’s Sister Is in Tears—She Never Imagined This Could Happen, and Now She Has No Clue What to Do, or How to Save Face My boyfriend’s sister got married a few years ago. After the wedding, it was decided the newlyweds would live with her mother-in-law. The husband’s family had a spacious three-bedroom flat with only one son. ‘I’ll keep one room, and the rest is yours!’ said the mother-in-law. ‘We’re all well-mannered people, so I’m sure we’ll get along just fine.’ ‘We can always move out!’ the husband assured his wife. ‘I see nothing wrong with giving life under the same roof as my mum a try. If we can’t get along, we can always get a flat of our own…’ And that’s what they did. As it turned out, life together wasn’t easy at all. Both mum-in-law and daughter-in-law tried, but things grew worse each day. Resentment built up, arguments became a daily occurrence. ‘You said we’d move out if we couldn’t get along!’ his wife sobbed. ‘Well, we’ve hardly tried!’ replied her husband with a patronising smile. ‘These are small things—no need to pack your bags over it.’ Exactly a year after the wedding, she became pregnant and gave birth to a healthy son. The arrival of her grandson coincided with her mother-in-law leaving her old job and struggling to find a new one, since most bosses don’t want to hire a woman nearing retirement. So mother-in-law and daughter-in-law found themselves spending nearly 24 hours a day together, unable to go anywhere, and the atmosphere at home just kept getting worse. The husband shrugged and listened to the complaints—he was now the family’s sole breadwinner. ‘Right now, we can’t leave mum on her own—she can’t pay the bills. I can’t abandon her, and I certainly can’t afford to pay both rent and support my mum. Once she finds a job, we’ll move out!’ But the young woman’s patience ran out. She packed up her belongings and her child’s and moved in with her own mother. As she left she told her husband she would never set foot in his mother’s house again. If he cared about his family, he would have to think of a solution. She was sure her beloved valued his family and would return immediately to get her back. But she was mistaken. It’s been more than three months since she moved back home, and her husband hasn’t lifted a finger to win her back. He’s still living with his mum and only talks to his wife and child by video call after work; at weekends, he visits them at his mother-in-law’s. Now, the man enjoys attention and care from two women, and his own mother has plenty of sympathy for the son abandoned by his angry wife, but takes no real responsibility for their child. The husband is on easy street—and the mother-in-law probably thinks life is grand! Meanwhile, the young wife is utterly miserable. She still loves her husband, even though she knows he’s in the wrong. ‘What did you expect when you left?’ asks her husband, ‘You can come back whenever you want.’ She probably isn’t planning to leave her mother or rent a flat, as she’s on maternity leave and just can’t afford it. Is this really the end for their family? Do you think there’s even the slightest chance for her to move back in with her mother-in-law—and come out of this with her dignity intact?”

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📌 Useful Social Services & Contacts in the U.S.

Stay informed and get help when you need it. Below are key national services with direct contacts that may support you or your loved ones:
🏥 Health & Mental Support

SAMHSA – Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

What they do: Free and confidential help with substance use and mental health disorders.

Hotline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357) – 24/7, anonymous support

Website: samhsa.gov

🧒 Support for Children & Families

WIC – Women, Infants, and Children Program

What they do: Nutritional and healthcare support for pregnant women, new mothers, and young children.

Federal Info Line: 1-800-522-5006

Find local WIC office: fns.usda.gov/wic

For Nearly an Hour I Watched Young Soon-to-Be Parents, Fresh Out of Sixth Form, at the Doctor’s Surgery