Childfree

[Glenmar]

Quote:
Got it

I do actually have a few pretty cool neices.

 

[Glenmar]

Quote:
Ok. Maybe I did not mean less interesting. Most of my expericences with people who have kids is in the workplace.
Imagine that you are a single women who likes to travel all over the country and out of the country, as well as having many interests.
Then you get to work and all you hear is another school project story, another prom story, another girl scout story... you get my point.
Once I was new to a job, and I think within 1 month I knew everything about everyones kids. Sometimes it would be nice to know there
were people there before kids. I am sure many folks on this site are not like this, but this has been my personal experience. Sorry to offend.

 

[EmtheFishLady]

Different people find different things interesting. I've traveled. I've partied. I've done things in my life many people couldn't think of doing. i still find my daughter interesting. I still enjoy telling her Grandma about Lily playing with dolls, or rubbing carrots in her hair.

I have friends who look forward to hearing Lily stories. I have friends who never speak to me about my kid.

Not everyone with children are "boring". I could talk for hours with you about fish, even might slip into Latin once or twice, but not everyone thinks fish are interesting either. Same thing for people not interested in chickens.

 

[Glenmar]

True, Sometimes I talk about chickens too much, but I try not to talk about my life at work too much because I realize that not
everyone can relate.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
Ok. Maybe I did not mean less interesting. Most of my expericences with people who have kids is in the workplace.
Imagine that you are a single women who likes to travel all over the country and out of the country, as well as having many interests.
Then you get to work and all you hear is another school project story, another prom story, another girl scout story... you get my point.
Once I was new to a job, and I think within 1 month I knew everything about everyones kids. Sometimes it would be nice to know there
were people there before kids. I am sure many folks on this site are not like this, but this has been my personal experience. Sorry to offend.

I think one point you're missing with the people that you've worked with is that for people who still have kids at home especially....those kids are their main interest. Doesn't mean that is their only interest, but at that point in their lives it's the most important one to them.

Have you ever considered that others may find hearing about someone elses travels are equally as boring to them as their kid talk is to you? I've known people who all they can talk about is the last trip they were on and where they're going next....not really something that interests me to hear too much about, but I know it means something to them so I listen.

 

[debilorrah]

Thanks Katy and Cindi. I certainly don't see myself as uninteresting, nor did I when my son was small. And I raised him alone, so I made it a point to travel with him so he would have some decent memories of vacations. So I talked about traveling WITH my kid. I was never one to bring juvenile artwork to the office either.

Glenmar, quite often in a workplace, where you spend more time there than at home, people talk about their kids because it is safe. People don't always want to talk about everything in their personal life at work. Lord I wish someone would convince my office mate of that.

Consider this: people think we are ALL weird and boring when we talk chickens. However, according to the collection I find growin on my desk by every day, my co-workers have learned to live with it.

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
Ok. Maybe I did not mean less interesting. Most of my expericences with people who have kids is in the workplace.
Imagine that you are a single women who likes to travel all over the country and out of the country, as well as having many interests.
Then you get to work and all you hear is another school project story, another prom story, another girl scout story... you get my point.
Once I was new to a job, and I think within 1 month I knew everything about everyones kids. Sometimes it would be nice to know there
were people there before kids. I am sure many folks on this site are not like this, but this has been my personal experience. Sorry to offend.

Oh I can handle it. Just be prepared to handle it back.

 

[Glenmar]

Quote:
Ok. Maybe I did not mean less interesting. Most of my expericences with people who have kids is in the workplace.
Imagine that you are a single women who likes to travel all over the country and out of the country, as well as having many interests.
Then you get to work and all you hear is another school project story, another prom story, another girl scout story... you get my point.
Once I was new to a job, and I think within 1 month I knew everything about everyones kids. Sometimes it would be nice to know there
were people there before kids. I am sure many folks on this site are not like this, but this has been my personal experience. Sorry to offend.

I think one point you're missing with the people that you've worked with is that for people who still have kids at home especially....those kids are their main interest. Doesn't mean that is their only interest, but at that point in their lives it's the most important one to them.

Have you ever considered that others may find hearing about someone elses travels are equally as boring to them as their kid talk is to you? I've known people who all they can talk about is the last trip they were on and where they're going next....not really something that interests me to hear too much about, but I know it means something to them so I listen.

Yep. I am sure I should talk about chickens less.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Not to stir the pot or anything, but I totally understand what Glenmar is saying.

I am single and childless. Not my choice. Just how life worked out. As an older, single, childless woman it is very difficult to be friends with most married folks with kids. The married parents talk a LOT about their husbands and their children. Is this true of ALL married/parents? Nope. It is very true of a lot of them. It isn't a lot of fun. As Glenmar says, it is boring and uninteresting. I cannot relate in any way. I really, really, REALLY get tired of hearing constant stories about people's husbands and children. In truth, most of the conversation is whining and complaining about said spouse or children. The snarky part of me wants to say "Deal with it. Quit whining and deal with the life you have chosen. It can be worse. Your life is not so bad." (The adult part of me manages to usually keep that on the inside though.)

Now, do I have married friends and friends with children? Sure. I love them and find them to be very interesting people. The ones I have kept as friends rarely talk about their spouses or children. They talk about all the interesting things they are doing with their lives. Sure they share the occasional story about the kids, but they don't bludgeon me about the head with constant "how precious is my kid" stories. They ARE interesting people with interesting lives. The kids and spouse just enhance that life. They aren't the ONLY part of that life.

I figure I am smart enough to not talk constantly about my dogs and cats and chickens because I know that most people do not understand these parts of my life. (This is why I love our local BYC meetups. I KNOW these ladies get it when I am excited about hatching and when I tell chicken stories.) I would expect the same courtesy from those around me to keep their spouse/kid stories to a minimum. If all they can talk about is their kids, they ARE uninteresting to me. I just don't care about their kids. Be somebody other than just "mommy".

 

[Nimby Chickens]

I think I understand what the other poster meant about parents being 'uninteresting'... but that isn't the correct word, really. I'm 25, and my friends are starting to get pregnant. It's very sad, for me, because I know when those babies are born I will never see them again. Not because I don't want to, but you know how it is with young kids. They consume your life. I'll see them now and again but we won't be able to have the deep friendship we did before. No more road trips and late nights and video game marathon sessions; they're parents now.

I do harbor a little resentment towards them for completely selfish reasons. I wanted them for myself a while longer, why did they have to go and get preggo? It's just not fair.

I honestly wish polygamy was legal. I would marry all my friends so we could stay together forever. Losing these people is very hard.