When you’re expecting a child, naturally, you want your partner to be as involved in the entire process as you are. It’s very painful to realize that they might have different priorities in mind. If they’re constantly spending time with their friends, in person or online, at your expense, something’s gone terribly wrong.
This post may include affiliate links.
Frustrated mom-to-be u/LamineLamal vented in a post on the AmITheJerk subreddit about how her husband actually skipped an incredibly important, gender-revealing ultrasound appointment because he was playing video games with his buddies. To get back at him, the woman decided that she would be the one to name the child, not him, which made him mad. Scroll down for the full story and to read how the net reacted. Bored Panda has reached out to the author for comment, and we'll update the article as soon as we hear back from her.
Having hobbies and being social is fine, so long as you don't neglect your responsibilities and loved ones. Not everyone finds this balance
Image credits: ahmadzada (not the actual photo)
A mom-to-be asked the internet for help after sharing how her gamer husband skipped an incredibly important ultrasound appointment to play video games instead
Image credits: Amazon
Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)
Image credits: LamineLamal
You have to find a balance between your responsibilities to your partner and what you do in your spare time. You can't neglect the former
Image credits: freeograph (not the actual photo)
To be very blunt, when your partner is pregnant, you should prioritize them. That means taking the time and energy to support them, and not as a one-off situation. You have to be there for them—constantly! Accompany them on their doctor’s visits. Read parenting literature together. Talk about the future. Do a bit more around the house to give them more room for rest.
Do things together because—guess what!—you’re a couple and you’re meant to be a team. You’re having the baby together, and that means having each other’s backs throughout the pregnancy, and then every day after the birth as parents.
That being said, of course, everyone needs rest and relaxation. Nobody can be ‘on’ 24/7. Even the most empathetic people need to recharge. And it’s good, even healthy, to have hobbies and to be social. But you have to weigh how much time you’re spending on your leisure and social activities versus what you’re giving your partner.
If your significant other feels isolated and ignored, you need to spend more quality time with them. Nobody’s telling you to give up your friends or video games… but dial them back. Be more flexible with your leisure. Relax after you’ve done what needs to be done.
You have to ask yourself what kind of parent your partner will be when the baby’s actually born. If you’re not a priority while you’re pregnant, you may be forced to take on the lion’s share of the childcare duties after the baby is born. And that’s unfair.
Talk to them about this. It’s going to be awkward. It’s going to be uncomfortable. It’s probably going to take more than one open and honest discussion to really get on the same page. But there’s no alternative to clearly communicating your needs, explaining your boundaries, and setting expectations.
The important thing to remember is to avoid making judgments, talking about unrelated issues, or handing out ultimatums. These things might make your partner get overly defensive. Instead, focus on one specific problem and explain how their behavior affects you. Tell them what you’d like your relationship to look like going forward. Directly ask them to pitch in more. If they want to have a say about the baby’s name, they need to behave as an actual parent first.
Video game addiction is a very serious issue. Your partner may need the help of a mental health specialist to unlearn their unhealthy behaviors
Image credits: drobotdean (not the actual photo)
However, if your significant other has an actual addiction to gaming, you may want to urge them to reach out to a mental health specialist or therapist who specializes in these issues.
The Cleveland Clinic explains that some of the signs and symptoms of video game addiction (aka internet gaming disorder) include the following:
- Poor performance at work, school, or household responsibilities due to spending too much time playing video games
- Withdrawal symptoms when you can’t game, such as becoming anxious, irritable, or sad
- A need to spend more and more time playing video games to enjoy them
- Sacrificing social relationships and other previously enjoyable activities
- Being unable to reduce gaming time, even though it’s negatively affecting your life
- Lying to your loved ones about how much you’re gaming
- Having worse hygiene because you’re too busy playing video games
- Using video games to avoid stressful situations or conflicts
- Using gaming to distract yourself from negative moods
Some ways to tackle this addiction include cognitive-behavioral therapy (aka CBT), where a mental health specialist helps you analyze your thoughts and emotions.
“You’ll come to understand how your thoughts affect your actions. Through CBT for video game addiction, you can unlearn negative and obsessive thoughts and behaviors and learn to adopt healthier thinking patterns and habits,” the Cleveland Clinic explains.
Something else that might potentially help is group therapy, where different people get together and, supervised by a therapist, discuss their problems. Alternatively, you should consider family marriage counseling to create a more stable home environment.
Discussing potential baby names is an incredibly important, bonding moment for the parents
If you’re curious, the top 10 baby girl names in the United States in 2025 so far, according to The Bump, are:
- Olivia
- Emma
- Amelia
- Charlotte
- Mia
- Sophia
- Isabella
- Evelyn
- Ava
- Sofia
Meanwhile, the top 10 baby boy names in the US this year are:
- Liam
- Noah
- Oliver
- Theodore
- James
- Henry
- Mateo
- Elijah
- Lucas
- William
What are your thoughts about the entire relationship drama, Pandas? How would you react if your partner missed an incredibly important doctor’s appointment to do something with their pals? What advice would you give the mom-to-be? Have you ever struggled with video game addiction? Let us know in the comments.
The internet was shocked and horrified by the dad-to-be's behavior. Netizens rushed to support the mom
