# Enough with the baby. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 14, 2008, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-baby/467901 "2008-10-14T17:23:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![rockle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@rockle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockle)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-baby/467901/61 "2008-10-15T13:54:17Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > You are in my head now. “I don’t have to pretend to be interested in anyone’s children, because **rockle** says it’s okay.” 😃 Wow, I’m like the Vanna White of the non-child-obsessed parents? That’s kind of cool. (Or am I more of the Sally Struthers?) ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-baby/467901/62 "2008-10-15T14:06:32Z")
> [@rockle](#): > > _Also: Will you be my friend_? This post makes me want to hug you, **rockle**. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-baby/467901/63 "2008-10-15T14:24:06Z")
My sister in law would have an extra set of all their photos made for us. Every time. I don’t want to see that many pictures of my own kids, let alone yours. Even worse, if you can’t even be selective and remove the pictures of thumbs, the ground and other nonsense, why do I want to search for the ones that are remotely interesting, when I won’t find any of them remotely interesting anyway. I finally had to tell her to stop. Do you know how some women react when you tell them that you don’t want to have your own copy of all their family photos? ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-baby/467901/64 "2008-10-15T14:33:57Z")
I can guess, Hentor. The only relief we have is the grandmother, who flat-out told them “Nobody is that interested in your kids except you and the grandparents. Especially not people who don’t even have kids.” Anyway I just came in here to say I just got an e-mail full of baby pictures. :rolleyes: DELETE ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-baby/467901/65 "2008-10-15T15:10:57Z")
Rather than quoting all of the posts that are defending the _cute kitty!_ and \*cute puppy!-\*photo threads, I’ll let this one sum it up as it seems to reflect the sentiment: > [@FarmerChick](#): > > What Equipoise said. > > I don’t mind pictures of anything. I post my pets sometimes, and the occasional video too. As long as the thread is marked, I don’t understand the little dig… unless it’s random photos inserted in unexpected places? I’m not sure what **batsto** intended, but in this sentence from his/her post: _This is almost as bad as the people here who seem to think we’re interested in pictures of their pets_., I understood the _here_ to mean _here at work_, not _here on the Dope_. So don’t get yourselves in a snit or anything. ---
**Author:** ![rockle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@rockle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockle)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-baby/467901/66 "2008-10-15T15:27:29Z")
> [@Agent\_Foxtrot](#): > > This post makes me want to hug you, **rockle**. As long as you are not going to make me look at pictures of your kid, _go for it_! My contact with “adults” is so limited these days that sometimes I find myself _voluntarily conversing with my idiot co-workers_ (the ones who don’t start every exchange with “How is the little one?”). And I hate my idiot co-workers _more than I hate other people’s kids_. On preview: it sure _sounds_ like I hate being a parent, doesn’t it? And _I really don’t_ – I absolutely _adore_ our daughter, she’s _practically perfect in every wa_y, but I am _very_ adamant about the fact that _ **I did not stop having a life when I started having a family** _. It’s one of those vicious circles of life, I guess. (Can I be slightly postpartum without actually having given birth?) ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-baby/467901/67 "2008-10-15T15:35:48Z")
I don’t have kids, don’t want kids, don’t particularly like kids. I do like animals, however, a lot. So you keep your kid pictures on your desk, and I’ll keep my critter pictures on mine, and if you comment on my pictures, I’ll talk to you about them, and if you don’t, I won’t. Can you (generic you) do the same for me? (FTR, I will compliment my co-worker’s children’s pics without prompting, but I don’t want them to pull out an album to show me in response!) ---
**Author:** ![Atrael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Atrael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atrael)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-baby/467901/68 "2008-10-15T17:31:28Z")
I was redoing my clearance a few months ago, and they had to interview some of my coworkers as part of the process. The guy I work most with is single, lives in a high-rise apartment, goes out to eat every night, drinks a fair amount…typical bachelor. When he was asked about my family life he pretty much couldn’t say much…he knew I was married, and have a child or two, but that was about it. They were asking if he’d ever been out to the house or anything like that. Now why would I inflict 2 kids under 3 on a single guy? What possible interest would he ever have in coming to my house for dinner or anything? But it’s like they expect us all to gush about our personal lives with each other at work. Sorry man, but maybe that environment existed in the 60’s or 70’s typing pools, but now we’re all cubical drones that really don’t get that involved in each other’s personal lives. I have one picture of my kids in my wallet. And most of the time I forget it’s there. I do have a digital frame on my desk, but it has more on it than just kids pictures. I really don’t understand the need to blast your kids pictures to everyone that you know. ---
**Author:** ![Atomicflea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/58956e/32.png) [@Atomicflea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomicflea)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-baby/467901/69 "2008-10-15T17:35:47Z")
> [@rockle](#): > > My contact with “adults” is so limited these days that sometimes I find myself _voluntarily conversing with my idiot co-workers_ (the ones who don’t start every exchange with “How is the little one?”). And I hate my idiot co-workers _more than I hate other people’s kids_. > > On preview: it sure _sounds_ like I hate being a parent, doesn’t it? And _I really don’t_ – I absolutely _adore_ our daughter, she’s _practically perfect in every wa_y, but I am _very_ adamant about the fact that _ **I did not stop having a life when I started having a family** _. It’s one of those vicious circles of life, I guess. (Can I be slightly postpartum without actually having given birth?) Rockle, just for this you are my new cyber-girlfriend. I will now bear the scorn of a weekly Gossip Girl thread just for you. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-baby/467901/70 "2008-10-15T17:40:39Z")
> [@rockle](#): > > As long as you are not going to make me look at pictures of your kid, _go for it_! My contact with “adults” is so limited these days that sometimes I find myself _voluntarily conversing with my idiot co-workers_ (the ones who don’t start every exchange with “How is the little one?”). And I hate my idiot co-workers _more than I hate other people’s kids_. > > On preview: it sure _sounds_ like I hate being a parent, doesn’t it? And _I really don’t_ – I absolutely _adore_ our daughter, she’s _practically perfect in every wa_y, but I am _very_ adamant about the fact that _ **I did not stop having a life when I started having a family** _. It’s one of those vicious circles of life, I guess. (Can I be slightly postpartum without actually having given birth?) Thanks. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-baby/467901/71 "2008-10-15T18:05:44Z")
I’d rather look at the baby pictures than the ultrasound pictures. ---
**Author:** ![rockle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@rockle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockle)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-baby/467901/72 "2008-10-15T18:14:52Z")
> [@Atomicflea](#): > > Rockle, just for this you are my new cyber-girlfriend. I will now bear the scorn of a weekly Gossip Girl thread just for you. Oh, we don’t _have_ to talk about “Gossip Girl.” We can talk about … hmm … World of Warcraft? Football (American or English, whichever, I can learn)? Baseball? Macramé? SMBD? Any-damn-thing, really. Just not The Kid, at least not \*all \*the time, and _definitely_ not first thing in the morning when I look like a hot tranny mess. OK? ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-baby/467901/73 "2008-10-15T18:21:38Z")
The niece had a multimedia first birthday party a year ago. A television played pictures for an hour and a half during the Pizza Hut party. Nobody paid attention to it, but people did ask to have the volume turned almost off. It was so ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-baby/467901/74 "2008-10-15T18:37:26Z")
And that goes for your puppy stories also. I don’t want to hear about what new cute thing your animal has learned to do. I don’t care that it barks along with your bathroom radio or that it tilts its head when you squeak in a high pitched voice which for some reason you feel obliged to reenact for me. I don’t need to know his current weight or when his next shots are. I am done with you and your puppy. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-baby/467901/75 "2008-10-15T18:46:33Z")
I’ve always said that the most selfish people on Earth are the parents of small children. Because their entire world revolves around their kids and they expect that everyone elses should too. Friends: I came over to talk to YOU, not ABOUT your kids. If the conversation always devolves to your kids and you rebuff every attempt to turn it to other topics, you probably shouldn’t be surprised when I lose interest in spending time with you. ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-baby/467901/76 "2008-10-15T18:48:58Z")
Oh! Oh! Oh! My chicken just did the cutest thing!! She was out on the grass, scratching around, and she found a bug and SHE ATE IT!! Isn’t that _amazing?_ I am so proud of her amazingness and the amazingness I receive by extension. And her feathers are just so pretty and her comb is so soft - \ ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-baby/467901/77 "2008-10-15T18:52:14Z")
You know what’s even worse? When you’re sick of hearing about the damn kid and it hasn’t even been born yet. I swear every pregnant woman I know except two loses every topic of conversation except THE BAY-BEE from the moment they get a plus sign on the pee stick. It’s even worse when they go through fertility treatments–then their child really is the Second Coming of Christ. :rolleyes: I like other people’s babies, but I really don’t want to hear about them all the time. Especially when it can’t even survive on its own yet! ---
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-baby/467901/78 "2008-10-15T19:35:30Z")
> [@SpazCat](#): > > You know what’s even worse? When you’re sick of hearing about the damn kid and it hasn’t even been born yet. I swear every pregnant woman I know except two loses every topic of conversation except THE BAY-BEE from the moment they get a plus sign on the pee stick. It’s even worse when they go through fertility treatments–then their child really is the Second Coming of Christ. :rolleyes: > > I like other people’s babies, but I really don’t want to hear about them all the time. Especially when it can’t even survive on its own yet! I had the opposite side of this happen. I was pregnant and a grad student in linguistics. There was a lounge are where all the other grad students hung out. I’d walk up and they’d be having a fascinating conversation about linguistics, and then they’d see me and awkwardly change the conversation to something to do with pregnancy or babies. It drove me nuts. Just because I’m pregnant doesn’t mean I’ve lost all my other interests! I can talk about other things! ---
**Author:** ![Cattitude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@Cattitude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cattitude)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-baby/467901/79 "2008-10-15T20:30:03Z")
> [@SpazCat](#): > > You know what’s even worse? When you’re sick of hearing about the damn kid and it hasn’t even been born yet. I swear every pregnant woman I know except two loses every topic of conversation except THE BAY-BEE from the moment they get a plus sign on the pee stick. I just finished being pregnant. I swear that I never initiated the prego conversations. Instead I had total strangers telling me their labor horror stories, commenting on the shape of my belly, asking me about hemmorhoids, etc. Now that I have the wee one, they want to touch and ask all kinds of questions. I limit the baby talk/pics to those that ask, I swear! ---
**Author:** ![burundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3ec8ea/32.png) [@burundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burundi)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-baby/467901/80 "2008-10-15T20:59:21Z")
I’m with **Cattitude** and **autz**. I’m 7 months pregnant, and I do _not_ talk about baby/pregnancy stuff with my friends or co-workers unless they bring it up first. When I’m at work, I much prefer to talk about work-related stuff and try to steer the conversation in that direction. One: I may be pregnant, but I’m still a professional. Two: We’re co-workers, not close friends–I know they’re trying to be nice, but I’m not comfortable discussing my medical issues or intimate life details (nausea, hemmorhoids, etc) with them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-baby/467901.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-baby/467901.md?page=5)