Work colleagues that always talk about their kids
Discussion
I have this colleague at work that constantly talks about her kid. I don't think a day has gone by were she hasn't talked about her son since she started. The team that I work in is kind of small, so there is no avoiding it. Any of you experienced similar, did you just ignore or tell them to tone it down?
Vyse said:
I have this colleague at work that constantly talks about her kid. I don't think a day has gone by were she hasn't talked about her son since she started. The team that I work in is kind of small, so there is no avoiding it. Any of you experienced similar, did you just ignore or tell them to tone it down?
I have a choice of 5 children to talk about, so I can give as good as I get.Some people talk endlessly about cars, others about their drunken exploits. Is hearing about her son really that bad?
A lot of lads at work constantly talk about working out and protein etc. Granted they are good at lifting heavy weights but they don't play sport, I'm better at running which is more useful to our role. They don't do it to pull women either as they are horrendous when I've seen them out. It's f
king boring and has the effect of putting me off exercise!
When they talk about their kids it's a welcome release. Except one has a son called Jayden. Or "Jayd" for short.
ETA: we had an inter department football tournament where I over heard them criticising the "skins" physiques
king boring and has the effect of putting me off exercise! When they talk about their kids it's a welcome release. Except one has a son called Jayden. Or "Jayd" for short.
ETA: we had an inter department football tournament where I over heard them criticising the "skins" physiques
Edited by dai1983 on Friday 28th October 20:35
Used to work beside someone who constantly talked about her kids. Even down to what they had for breakfast that morning and what they were dressed in.
You could steer the conversation onto any subject, and she had quite a skill of turning it in some way back to the kids. I often wondered what she talked about before she had children!
I often switched off while nodding politely.
You could steer the conversation onto any subject, and she had quite a skill of turning it in some way back to the kids. I often wondered what she talked about before she had children!
I often switched off while nodding politely.
People always talk about things that are close to them if they have nothing else to talk about, whether it's cars, football or the weather. If it's not your thing it's really boring. I'd take the subtle approach and have a set of glasses with paper eyes glued to them as in 'the simpsons' put them on when she starts, if she doesn't get it start making snoring noises. If that doesn't work I don't know, kick her in the sponge?
In my last job I actually preferred people taking about their kids as it was certainly better than the alternative which was bringing them into the bloody office when you were trying to work 
At my last office based job there were 2 women that went off on maternity leave but then decided, shortly after having their kid, that it was a good idea to come back into the office at least 3 times a week to meet up with their former colleagues and then go for lunch, coffee, etc.
Of course when they did come into the office they came with said child, which resulted in virtually every female member of staff dropping everything they were doing so they could go and coo and coddle the child for up to 15 - 20 minutes every time, leaving the rest of us to cover their vacant desk, phone, etc It was even better when the child started crying as it made it interesting trying to hold a phone call with customers / clients with that in the background.
It finally stopped after one of the MD's stormed downstairs and told them that maternity leave meant you don't come into the office. I don't think it helped that in that case the child had been heard upstairs where the MD's were holding an important meeting with the heads of the supply chain & a director for one of the UK's leading DIY retailers at the time. It didn't go down very well with them and a very strongly worded email followed that afternoon
At my last office based job there were 2 women that went off on maternity leave but then decided, shortly after having their kid, that it was a good idea to come back into the office at least 3 times a week to meet up with their former colleagues and then go for lunch, coffee, etc.
Of course when they did come into the office they came with said child, which resulted in virtually every female member of staff dropping everything they were doing so they could go and coo and coddle the child for up to 15 - 20 minutes every time, leaving the rest of us to cover their vacant desk, phone, etc
It was even better when the child started crying as it made it interesting trying to hold a phone call with customers / clients with that in the background.It finally stopped after one of the MD's stormed downstairs and told them that maternity leave meant you don't come into the office. I don't think it helped that in that case the child had been heard upstairs where the MD's were holding an important meeting with the heads of the supply chain & a director for one of the UK's leading DIY retailers at the time. It didn't go down very well with them and a very strongly worded email followed that afternoon
Edited by AlexRS2782 on Friday 28th October 21:04
Jasandjules said:
Don't get me wrong, annoys the hell out of me as well, but sometimes you do get funny stories out of it...
Yes but when they tell you about the kid getting badly injured they then seem to get offended when you laugh 
. Parents, no sense of humour.Edited by Steve H on Saturday 29th October 13:51
If they're parents, then they might not have much else going on? I don't care for endless child charter either but I just tune it out to be replaced by "someone is talking about something important to them. Be happy for them and nod and smile as appropriate. I talk about my bikes, I'm sure that bores some people. But then again, I do have the decency to realise that and don't drive on incessantly.
Childless Japanese woman I once lived with said that her Mum worked in a care home and that all people talk about is what their kids are doing. Not the great exploits they got up to when they were young, or their politics, or business history. It's almost like people's children are important to them or something.
Really fking annoying.
In our office we did have 2(one has since left) women constantly trying to out-do each other. We named it the "kid off". My kid did this, oh but mine did this, oh but if mine did that, she would do this. On and on and fking on!
Both were fairly wealthy, had nice holidays and did interesting things but oh no, nothing compared to how amazing one of the kids lasts sts were or if they had their toenails cut etc etc.
It was horrendous to listen to.
king annoying. In our office we did have 2(one has since left) women constantly trying to out-do each other. We named it the "kid off". My kid did this, oh but mine did this, oh but if mine did that, she would do this. On and on and f
king on! Both were fairly wealthy, had nice holidays and did interesting things but oh no, nothing compared to how amazing one of the kids lasts s
ts were or if they had their toenails cut etc etc. It was horrendous to listen to.
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