To dislike when other parents expect me to find their children as cute and fascinating as they do?

[HeathcliffMoorland]

This is more a slight niggle than any sort of issue, but it does annoy me.

I know plenty of parents who go on and on about how cute their toddler is... and sometimes even finish with 'isn't he/she?'.

They tell me stories about things that most children do, as though their child is the only one.

And at times, they'll even have a long gushing monologue about how much their baby likes to be cuddled.

In the past I have replied with stories about my own three, but that has been met with a nod, followed quickly by an attempt at one-upmanship - another story about their child.

To avoid this, I just smile and nod, but am really beginning to feel like my face is going to crack.

I adore my children. But I am aware that not everybody feels similarly about them.

TBH I just find it a bot awkward when it lasts more than a few minutes. Anyone else agree?

I don't find any DC as beautiful and fascinating as my own, but that does leave the question of are the people who coo and talk nicely to my DC lying?

Surely they can't all be nice, children-loving people?

I think you have to pretend if you don't find them appealing

I don't dislike other children. In fact, I quite like the vast majority...

I just dislike hearing long stories about how someone's toddler finds the word 'snot' funny!

So my issue here is with the parents... not the children!

All the parents I have known think their DCs are delightful, fascinating, exceptionally bright etc etc and if they don't have children they think their dog/cat/rabbit is delightful, fascinating, exceptionally bright etc etc

That's life.

You will earn many friends if you praise and admire others' children/dogs/cats/rabbits. But make lifelong enemies if you are honest.

You sound like a bit of a misery tbh. I'm sure you do your share of boring people rigid about your plumbing or work or your bargain new coat or whatever but I guess it's alright if it's you doing the boring, eh?

Rockbird, that's a bit mean.

I think you sounds a bit curmudgeonly

I like seeing people adoring their children and vice versa, it makes me feel pleased for the child and the parent

and I DO find most children utterly appealing and fascinating

oneupmanship is a stage beyond though, that is not just an expression of joy about your child, it's something else and it's not pleasant.

Ah, I'm not curmudgeonly!

I find it more awkward than boring.

My natural reaction is to reply with a story about my own.

It's the reaction to this that makes me find it difficult.

Oh, it's so true. DH and I think that our nephews and nieces are uniquely intelligent, sunny-tempered, wonderful human beings, and that our cat is a truly exceptional feline being.

I have to say that if someone does go on and on about a child and you're getting really fed up, telling a story about how your cat / dog / rat does exactly the same thing can be quite amusing...

I agree with the OP, in essence. People who bang on and on about stuff that they like but isn't generally of that much interest tend to be a bit dull and socially awkward. The fact it is about children is not even of any real relevance or significance - its dull dull dull. We all do it sometimes probably.

why not just shoot them and save time?

OP I don't think you're being a misery.

I know what you mean about people droning on about what their dc have said and done and never reciprocate or show the blindest bit of interest in your dc.

You want to say 'Yes, so you mean your dc is just doing and saying exactly what any other X year old does???'.

Thanks, proudnglad. I think you may have phrased my exact point more eloquently than I did!

The reaction you get sounds weird.

I love hearing stories about the nutty things friends' children do, especially when it turns out dd does very similar things.

Swapping toddler stories is a guilty pleasure I do not inflict on people who do not have a toddler.

You have to try to change the subject away from the children sometimes, no?

Snot - funny- no gross- hygiene- disease- disaster - we're all gonna die- think I need a new sofa actually-.....

I know what you mean about feeling awkward. As much as you try to turn the convo away sometimes or talk about your life, some people just go oN AND ON AND ON..[GRIN]

Look bored, and don't comment.

Have you got any friends who aren't parents?
It is one of the criticisms often levelled at parents by others
'She used to be so interesting, and discuss improvisational jazz with such vivacity...now all she talks about is her children'

I've only had this once with my friends girlfriend who was telling me about her four year old, she got her phone out and said look at the pictures and tell me if you think she's cute..
I didn't know what to make of that at all!! Aren't all four year olds cute?!?

Yes, I have friends who aren't parents, and friends who are parents who don't behave like this.

The people to whom I refer are mainly work colleagues as opposed to friends.

Last post @ Goblinchild, btw.

blimey this is about the fifth child hating thread on here. some of you must be very miserable in rl and intolerant

'child hating thread'

Where in the name of swiss cheese did you get the impression that I hate children?!

it's not remotely child-hating - op specifically said it's about the parents.

op - I agree but, fortunately, I don;t come across it too much. just a couple of people I know are this way inclined. it's the lack of self-awareness - the inability to comprehend that their child is no more special than every other child.

I wouldn't be too bothered by this other than the one upmanship response if you mention your own, which would begin to get quite irritating but if people are just sharing stories about their dc without any one upmanship agenda then im happy to listen to that

Nah TBH OP I think other people think my children are more cute than I do
Especially so round the shops when I get some old dear cooing over ds and saying what a nice age it is when I'm thinking 'Really! Did you see that tantrum he just threw in the chocolate section?'

I generally like to her stories about other peoples. I don't know a parent who doesn't gush about their kids. "She's just edible at the minute" etc. it doesn't bother me at all.

The only thing that has ever pissed me off is when the children are very badly behaved and could use some good old fashioned discipline but the parents let them run riot and don't see it as a problem. I see it as a very big problem when a child wont be told no EVER, they know that all they have to do is scream blue murder (and frequently do) to get mum to cave in and she always does, beat up other children and mum sits and watches it, trash my house when the mum sits and watches it, etc. That annoys the fucking hell out of me and I ended a friendship becasue of a tyrannical spoiled little brat like that. But mum thoguht he did no wrong, thought the sun shone out of his arse and took the view his hellish behaviour was acceptable.

That I can't stand but if it's general adoring parents over a generally nice/well behaved child, where's the problem?