Went to a Super Bowl party & I will never be the same.

[Anonymous]

I would have offered to be step dad and tried to make a sibling at halftime

[Anonymous]

So this was a lifelike baby doll treated as a real human baby?

Eh, I wouldn't think too much about it, OP. If this person is happy living that kind of life, what's the harm?

[Anonymous]

If this is true, I feel really empathetic for your coworker. She clearly had a horribly traumatic experience related to her own childhood or child birth.

Please don't spread gossip about her at work. She clearly views you as someone she can trust, if she invited you into her home.

Personally, I'd probably disengage with her outside the office while still maintaining a collegial relationship while at work. In short, still go out for lunch or happy hour drinks, but not enmesh your personal life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is incredibly sad and my first reaction would not be to run to DCUM to make fun of this poor woman. Women use those dolls (I believe they’re called Reborn dolls) in response to a traumatic event - usually stillbirth or infant death. I’d feel badly for her, and I hope you don’t turn this into water cooler gossip, OP.

\\

+1

[Anonymous]

In today’s society, OP, you are supposed to react to this situation by being:

- sensitive, understanding, and supportive.

We are normalizing mental illness and destroying resilience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:(Warning I have had a few drinks)

It was at a new coworkers house. My New Years resolution was to be more social and I regret it SO MUCH.

This woman…omg…I can’t even. She has an adorable picture of her son on her desk and talks about him and he’s FAKE!!!

He’s one of those creepy real life baby dolls!! I spent 5 hrs of my life being social with a woman who has a nursery for a doll. A Doll!

Things I said tonight: he really is such a good baby. Uh, sure I can hold him. I like the colors of the nursery, very soothing.

She doesn’t want real kids. But to her he’s her real kid. I have so much to unpack and I need to find a new job because I’m not going to be able to deal wi the this trauma drama.

Don’t socialize with coworkers guys. Just don’t.

This is hilarious!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is incredibly sad and my first reaction would not be to run to DCUM to make fun of this poor woman. Women use those dolls (I believe they’re called Reborn dolls) in response to a traumatic event - usually stillbirth or infant death. I’d feel badly for her, and I hope you don’t turn this into water cooler gossip, OP.

I think it must be this.

Please be kind to her OP, at least until you know the whole story

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In today’s society, OP, you are supposed to react to this situation by being:

- sensitive, understanding, and supportive.

We are normalizing mental illness and destroying resilience.

Shame on you. Do you want to pump this woman full of drugs, and prescribe endless useless therapy, or could she just have a harmless therapeutic activity? Or does she need it all to be gainfully employed? She's a productive member of society, she is clearly not a burden, and you decry that we are normalizing mental illness and destroying resilience, you idiot? THIS is how you build resilience! You understand nothing about mental illness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is incredibly sad and my first reaction would not be to run to DCUM to make fun of this poor woman. Women use those dolls (I believe they’re called Reborn dolls) in response to a traumatic event - usually stillbirth or infant death. I’d feel badly for her, and I hope you don’t turn this into water cooler gossip, OP.

\\

+1

Me too.

Op sounds immature.

[Anonymous]

This is an instant DCUM classic. I am DYING here.

True story: I once had (real) babies, and my boss's boss invited herself to my house to meet them, because she thought I faked the whole thing to get a fake maternity leave. Maybe this is what she thought I was doing? Fake doll babies? Hahahahahaha, OMG.

[Anonymous]

I had no idea this was a thing. Here's a BBC story about therapeutic use of Reborn dolls
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-59604011

[Anonymous]

My Instagram suggestion feed shows me a lot of these real-looking babies. I have a baby, so I follow baby-related accounts. These "reborn" babies are made of silicone and really look like an infant. I think they're quite expensive. I find it disturbing so I always hide the accounts that post them. The people that have these treat them like a real baby. Putting them to bed, giving them toys, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is an instant DCUM classic. I am DYING here.

True story: I once had (real) babies, and my boss's boss invited herself to my house to meet them, because she thought I faked the whole thing to get a fake maternity leave. Maybe this is what she thought I was doing? Fake doll babies? Hahahahahaha, OMG.

What?!? What clued you in that she suspected a fake maternity leave? How did she react when you showed her your actual little ones?

That's crazy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:(Warning I have had a few drinks)

It was at a new coworkers house. My New Years resolution was to be more social and I regret it SO MUCH.

This woman…omg…I can’t even. She has an adorable picture of her son on her desk and talks about him and he’s FAKE!!!

He’s one of those creepy real life baby dolls!! I spent 5 hrs of my life being social with a woman who has a nursery for a doll. A Doll!

Things I said tonight: he really is such a good baby. Uh, sure I can hold him. I like the colors of the nursery, very soothing.

She doesn’t want real kids. But to her he’s her real kid. I have so much to unpack and I need to find a new job because I’m not going to be able to deal wi the this trauma drama.

Don’t socialize with coworkers guys. Just don’t.

Here's my thing. You couldn't tell from the picture that it's a doll? Are you sure it's a doll?

Some of those reborn baby dolls do look like a real baby in a photo.

This is a thing. Woman do this as a hobby. Pretend the reborn baby doll is real. There are instagram accounts and youtube channels.

There are a couple of teen girls who are YouTubers with tons of subscribers who do this.

[Anonymous]

Wait, what's a "reborn daycare"?