Ask Dr. Helen: Do Husbands Owe Wives Post-Childbirth ‘Push Presents?’
Any gift that has to be solicited has lost its “gift” status.
My father must have bought my mother a piece of fun jewelry (nothing terribly expensive) around the time of all of my birth because I remember her calling a certain pair her “Eilish earrings”. I remember thinking that it was sweet that she had a reminder of each special delivery and she loved unique jewelry, so it would be a thoughtful gift for her. I CANNOT in a million years imagine her requesting a gift, because SHE HAS MANNERS. That spoils the whole joy of gift-giving!
When I gave birth to my own son after a very hard and long labor, a gift was the last thing on my mind. I had a beautiful healthy baby boy! My husband, however, had to leave the hospital soon after our son’s birth to fix an emergency at our business when a manager unexpectedly quit and subsequently spent a two weeks working around the clock trying to fix the mess that he had left. That was enough of a present for me. I never worry that I or my son will want for anything as long as my husband is healthy and able. That’s a pretty big gift. Only a fool would look that gift horse in the mouth.
