Basic Trope: A parent or relative is disappointed at someone for not being the gender they assumed they'd be.
- Straight: Bob thought his wife would give birth to a boy, but instead she gives birth to a daughter she names Carlita, and he expresses disappointment towards her for a long time.
- Exaggerated: Bob mourns the son he never had and often treats Carlita as if she cannibalized him in the womb.
- Downplayed: Bob is mildly annoyed that he didn't get a son, but he takes pride in Carlita regardless.
- Justified:
- Bob's family strictly adheres to Heir Club for Men, and having Carlita means that he doesn't have anyone to pass on the family name or traditions by his own standards.
- Bob and his wife have already had enough daughters for them to tolerate. He wanted a boy as a change of pace and someone to relate to.
- Subverted: Bob accepts Carlita as she is, rather than the gender he wanted from her.
- Inverted:
- Carlita is adopted into Bob and Alice's family. She's disappointed that she has a father instead of another mother.
- Bob is proud that Carlita is born and he had always wanted a daughter.
- Gender Inverted: Bob's wife Alice has a son named Carlos. She's disappointed she didn't have a girl.
- Averted: Bob makes no fuss over Carlita's gender. Any and all problems he has with her come from her personality and actions.
- Parodied:
- Bob kills his own daughter at birth or schedules his wife to get a sex-selective abortion.
- Bob throws a childish tantrum when he finds out his child is a daughter.
Bob: But I don't want a daughter! I WANTED A SON! I WANT A SON!- Alternatively, Bob takes every opportunity to make the best of an unwanted situation by forcing Carlita to present masculine or encourage more masculine hobbies and professions for her. He'll never get the son he wanted, but he's going to try and make Carlita the "next best thing" whether she wants to or not.
- Played for Laughs: The party celebrating Carlita's birth is decked head to toe in masculine baby decorations (all blue, monsters and toy trucks, an "It's a boy!" banner), which remains up when Bob and Alice awkwardly come in with Carlita in tow. Everyone else is trying to sidestep the issue and welcome Carlita into the world, while Bob makes snide remarks about how the party was wasted.
- Played for Drama:
- Carlita, of course, grows up knowing she's not the kid her father wanted. Even if she became a tomboy and liked masculine things, it's clear to her that it wouldn't make her any closer to her dad simply because she's a girl.
- Carlita comes out as FTM Trans later in life, meaning they were always a boy, but Bob still doesn't accept him as his son. Not only does Carl not have his father's affection and approval as his child, but he also doesn't even have Bob's acknowledgement of him as a man.
