Other people talking about their kids ...
Discussion
Chaps and chapesses,
Sorry to come over all old-fart on this one, but I spent a large amount of last night listening to a very annoying couple bleat on about how marvellous their kids are - specifically, how great their daughter (let's call her Holly) is. So massively intelligent, can do anything, so skilled at "[i]Her[/i] sciences, [i]her[/i] maths, [i]her[/i] english, [i]her[/i] sociology", and yet is choosing to go to dance and drama school "Because she is so good at that as well." The only time she has got into trouble at school has been "Because she has been bored - more intelligent than the teacher - and played up as a result. BUT she realised it, and asked me if she could be moved to a different class because she realised she could have more problems if she stayed put."
When I met Holly, she struck me as being a very very average, slightly badly behaved 8 year old who suffered from too much attention from her mother and father.
Am I the only one to find this sort of thing [i]seriously[/i] annoying? Anyone know any polite conversational tactics to use to get out of such a situation?
Rant over ... and reeelllllaaaxxxx.
Oli.
P.S. I'll quickly add I am very happily married, and Mrs zcacogp and I are quite adamant that we neither of us want kids, ever. We have no objection to some people's kids - I have a nephew and niece I love dearly, and really enjoy spending time with. But my sister and brother-in-law (their parents) have an ounce of realism, and will talk in a balanced way about their kids. The same goes for other friends of ours who have had kids - it seems to be a growing trend amongst our social circle. Sign of advancing years, I guess.
Sorry to come over all old-fart on this one, but I spent a large amount of last night listening to a very annoying couple bleat on about how marvellous their kids are - specifically, how great their daughter (let's call her Holly) is. So massively intelligent, can do anything, so skilled at "[i]Her[/i] sciences, [i]her[/i] maths, [i]her[/i] english, [i]her[/i] sociology", and yet is choosing to go to dance and drama school "Because she is so good at that as well." The only time she has got into trouble at school has been "Because she has been bored - more intelligent than the teacher - and played up as a result. BUT she realised it, and asked me if she could be moved to a different class because she realised she could have more problems if she stayed put."
When I met Holly, she struck me as being a very very average, slightly badly behaved 8 year old who suffered from too much attention from her mother and father.
Am I the only one to find this sort of thing [i]seriously[/i] annoying? Anyone know any polite conversational tactics to use to get out of such a situation?
Rant over ... and reeelllllaaaxxxx.
Oli.
P.S. I'll quickly add I am very happily married, and Mrs zcacogp and I are quite adamant that we neither of us want kids, ever. We have no objection to some people's kids - I have a nephew and niece I love dearly, and really enjoy spending time with. But my sister and brother-in-law (their parents) have an ounce of realism, and will talk in a balanced way about their kids. The same goes for other friends of ours who have had kids - it seems to be a growing trend amongst our social circle. Sign of advancing years, I guess.
I have two kids of my own who I am intensely proud of 
, but I wouldn't dream of inflicting my pride on anyone else (unless provoked!
).
This kind of oblique boasting seems to be the domain of those who are insecure about how their kids are doing. Of course, the problem is getting them to shut up, but then that can be a problem with non parents as much as parents!
, but I wouldn't dream of inflicting my pride on anyone else (unless provoked!). This kind of oblique boasting seems to be the domain of those who are insecure about how their kids are doing. Of course, the problem is getting them to shut up, but then that can be a problem with non parents as much as parents!
oh dont get me started on this one,
small group of friends go down the pub on a friday evening, generally the conversation is cars, beer, little politics and stuff.
there are a couple though that like to talk about how precious the little ones are. my god talk about pointless bleating, then it turns to competition on how so much better their little one is than who ever else is there and then you meet them and as ever these are the standard precocious little ankle biters in need of going to a proper school and having all those little edges knocked off and losing some of that irritating self confidence given to them by there adoring parents. eeesh
small group of friends go down the pub on a friday evening, generally the conversation is cars, beer, little politics and stuff.
there are a couple though that like to talk about how precious the little ones are. my god talk about pointless bleating, then it turns to competition on how so much better their little one is than who ever else is there and then you meet them and as ever these are the standard precocious little ankle biters in need of going to a proper school and having all those little edges knocked off and losing some of that irritating self confidence given to them by there adoring parents. eeesh
BliarOut said:
Of course it's wrong.... My kids are far better than theirs
But not as good as mine of course
Seriously, people should cut out all this aspirational c
p and concentrate on turning out decent human beings. If they do that the kids will sort their own lives out perfectly well.
Prof Beard
I work with 2 bints who constantly talk about their precious darlings 
I hear about every single thing that they have ever done, are planning to do and not planning to do and god forbid if I want to talk about anything sensible like football or cars or even the news, somehow it gets twisted back to them and their brats
Ok breath, calm
I hear about every single thing that they have ever done, are planning to do and not planning to do and god forbid if I want to talk about anything sensible like football or cars or even the news, somehow it gets twisted back to them and their brats
Ok breath, calm
Well, being 21 I don't have many of these conversations.
I have to put up with something far, far worse:
"How much are you looking at earning then".
Seriously, most of my mates are working on careers in finance, and all they seem to talk about is how much they have the potential to earn - they don't even talk about what they want to do with it.
At least they don't talk about the actual work though - that would just be too boring to contemplate.
I have to put up with something far, far worse:
"How much are you looking at earning then".
Seriously, most of my mates are working on careers in finance, and all they seem to talk about is how much they have the potential to earn - they don't even talk about what they want to do with it.
At least they don't talk about the actual work though - that would just be too boring to contemplate.
A woman in accounts here is the worst example of this species you will ever find.
Talk to her about ANYTHING and she'll find some relation to her little darling son (early teens) He rides horses and she has pictures of him doing so plastered all over her monitor and around her desk.
The worst part is, she uses the Diary facility in the company database to fill in exactly what her tubby little offspring is doing on any given day. If you were planning an assassination attempt you'd have no problems finding the blighter.
Talk to her about ANYTHING and she'll find some relation to her little darling son (early teens) He rides horses and she has pictures of him doing so plastered all over her monitor and around her desk.
The worst part is, she uses the Diary facility in the company database to fill in exactly what her tubby little offspring is doing on any given day. If you were planning an assassination attempt you'd have no problems finding the blighter.
I am acutely aware how boring things can be for others that seem intereting to us.
For example - My lady offers to show people photo's of our holiday. I quite openly explain that they needn't see them if they prefer not to as I know it would bore the shit out of me.
May as well be honest, hadn't we?
People still laugh it off though, it amazes me. You just KNOW that people don't have much interest in other peoples holiday snaps because..
a) They aren't on them
and
b) they're all the same
For example - My lady offers to show people photo's of our holiday. I quite openly explain that they needn't see them if they prefer not to as I know it would bore the shit out of me.
May as well be honest, hadn't we?
People still laugh it off though, it amazes me. You just KNOW that people don't have much interest in other peoples holiday snaps because..
a) They aren't on them
and
b) they're all the same
Gassing Station | The Pie & Piston Archive | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff