What’s with parents who talk ALL THE TIME about their kids?

[Anonymous]

I knew a woman like this at my daughter's high school. This woman ONLY could talk about her child - for hours.
She was also really tragically unattractive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a coworker like this. Her entire world is her kids. She really doesn't have hobbies or do anything (besides work) outside of them. I just tend to steer convo into something else. One kid is heavily involved in dance and they travel a ton. So I try to steer the conversation in directions about their trips.

I could understand you complaining more than OP, who sees this woman once a week at yoga where she has 10 minutes to drone on about a subject that OP doesn't care about, and OP is completely free to sit on the other side of the room, or show up closer to the start of class, or leave in some headphones while she warms up her body for class.

I get why OP is annoyed but cannot imagine getting this worked up about someone she barely knows and only interacts with extremely briefly. I'd be more sympathetic if this was someone she couldn't avoid, but she 100% can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean, I don't do this but it doesn't make me this mad when other people do? People talk about what interests them. This woman clearly really cares about her kid. There are much worse things for someone to fixate on.

I would examine why you are so triggered by this. Just sit on the other side of the room? I mean, who cares?

Sure, but the point is that no one else does. And it’s a completely one-sided conversation—what is anyone else supposed to say about her son?

You engage in conversation and talk about your own kid… or overlapping interests/concerns… the weather or football team in his college town… literally anything you can think of, the sky’s the limit!

I swear to God people no longer know how to interact with others in real life.

Oh, you mean like this woman, who has chosen as her sole topic of conversation something that no one else cares about or can contribute to? It’s a monologue.

I mean, is she shushing OP? Putting her hand over her mouth? Somehow physically preventing her from opening her own mouth and steering the conversation to something more interesting to her? Maybe she’s using mind control like a Jedi?

Why is it this woman’s responsibility to read OP’s mind? OP is a big girl, she can talk about whatever the hell she wants to, but I an guessing she has never *actually* tried to have a real conversation with this woman. It’s so much more fun to smile and nod and pretend you’re interested, and then talk sh!t behind her back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I knew a woman like this at my daughter's high school. This woman ONLY could talk about her child - for hours.
She was also really tragically unattractive.

God I really hate you people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a coworker like this. Her entire world is her kids. She really doesn't have hobbies or do anything (besides work) outside of them. I just tend to steer convo into something else. One kid is heavily involved in dance and they travel a ton. So I try to steer the conversation in directions about their trips.

I could understand you complaining more than OP, who sees this woman once a week at yoga where she has 10 minutes to drone on about a subject that OP doesn't care about, and OP is completely free to sit on the other side of the room, or show up closer to the start of class, or leave in some headphones while she warms up her body for class.

I get why OP is annoyed but cannot imagine getting this worked up about someone she barely knows and only interacts with extremely briefly. I'd be more sympathetic if this was someone she couldn't avoid, but she 100% can.

It is pretty easy to avoid someone who isn’t even your friend. Why go so early?

I have a friend who is a dentist and I have zero, maybe negative interest in her dentist stories. One of my husband’s friend’s wives is always talking about food, like all her weird eating restrictions from her quack functional medicine doctor. She could literally go on for hours about processed foods, sugar, allergies, etc. I always try to change the subject and she brings the subject back to food. She is also overweight. I have never met a more clueless person. I would rather listen to OP’s yoga person talking about her kid going to college. I actually would be mildly interested as I have a teen preparing to apply to college.

[Anonymous]

My friend is like this. She has a job, but her kids are her world. Smile and nod or change the subject.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My friend is like this. She has a job, but her kids are her world. Smile and nod or change the subject.

I’m a SAHM of 3 kids. My kids are my world. However, I know better and know that others are not interested in my kids. I can talk about other subjects.

[Anonymous]

Aw. She's missing her son! I have a college freshman. Last fall, I'm sure I talked about him a little too much.

When you get there, you'll understand, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Aw. She's missing her son! I have a college freshman. Last fall, I'm sure I talked about him a little too much.

When you get there, you'll understand, OP.

Yeah, I bet this is it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Haven’t you met a narcissist before? Somewhat common. Just excuse yourself and ignore.

Am I missing something? Someone talking (perhaps too much) about their kid makes them a narcissist?

No. I meant the total lack of awareness of or caring about others’ interest or feelings. Narcissists are not all suave manipulators.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friend is like this. She has a job, but her kids are her world. Smile and nod or change the subject.

I’m a SAHM of 3 kids. My kids are my world. However, I know better and know that others are not interested in my kids. I can talk about other subjects.

That's great, but there are going to be people who are not as erudite as you. Be kind and humor them. It's just a couple of minutes of your time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She is probably just lonely and misses her son at college

I was thinking this. She probably still hasn’t gotten used to him being away and talking about him helps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Haven’t you met a narcissist before? Somewhat common. Just excuse yourself and ignore.

Am I missing something? Someone talking (perhaps too much) about their kid makes them a narcissist?

No. I meant the total lack of awareness of or caring about others’ interest or feelings. Narcissists are not all suave manipulators.

Nothing whatsoever about this woman’s behavior indicates that she is a narcissist. Stop using words you don’t understand because you think they’re trendy and cool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I knew a woman like this at my daughter's high school. This woman ONLY could talk about her child - for hours.
She was also really tragically unattractive.

God I really hate you people.

Found the professional mommy!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a coworker like this. Her entire world is her kids. She really doesn't have hobbies or do anything (besides work) outside of them. I just tend to steer convo into something else. One kid is heavily involved in dance and they travel a ton. So I try to steer the conversation in directions about their trips.

I could understand you complaining more than OP, who sees this woman once a week at yoga where she has 10 minutes to drone on about a subject that OP doesn't care about, and OP is completely free to sit on the other side of the room, or show up closer to the start of class, or leave in some headphones while she warms up her body for class.

I get why OP is annoyed but cannot imagine getting this worked up about someone she barely knows and only interacts with extremely briefly. I'd be more sympathetic if this was someone she couldn't avoid, but she 100% can.

It is pretty easy to avoid someone who isn’t even your friend. Why go so early?

I have a friend who is a dentist and I have zero, maybe negative interest in her dentist stories. One of my husband’s friend’s wives is always talking about food, like all her weird eating restrictions from her quack functional medicine doctor. She could literally go on for hours about processed foods, sugar, allergies, etc. I always try to change the subject and she brings the subject back to food. She is also overweight. I have never met a more clueless person. I would rather listen to OP’s yoga person talking about her kid going to college. I actually would be mildly interested as I have a teen preparing to apply to college.

NP. For a lot of group fitness classes, if you don’t go early you won’t get a spot.